Türkiye’s F-16s in Somalia: Is Ankara Being Drawn into an Internal Political War?

BAIDOA (WDN) — Reports that F-16 fighter aircraft carried out airstrikes near Baidoa have intensified concerns that foreign military power may be entering Somalia’s internal political conflict. The aircraft’s operator has not been independently confirmed, but the allegations is not new news and raise a pressing question: are Turkish military assets being used to support one side in a Somali political dispute?

The reported strikes came amid renewed fighting near Burijeed, outside Baidoa, between forces aligned with the Federal Government and the current South West administration on one side, and fighters loyal to former regional president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Lafta-gareen on the other. Local sources reported intense clashes and significant casualties, although precise figures remain unclear.

Türkiye has deployed F-16 fighter jets to Somalia and maintains close military ties with the Federal Government. That presence makes the allegations particularly consequential, but it does not establish that Turkish aircraft conducted the reported strikes.

If Turkish jets were involved, the issue would extend far beyond military cooperation. It would raise serious questions about civilian protection and whether a foreign partner is becoming an active participant in Somalia’s internal political struggle.

From Strategic Partner to Partisan Actor?

Türkiye has spent years building its influence in Somalia through humanitarian assistance, infrastructure development, economic investment and military training. Its support has been presented as helping Somalia rebuild its institutions and strengthen its capacity to fight Al-Shabaab. But that relationship is now facing a serious test.

Lafta-gareen and his supporters have accused Türkiye of conducting airstrikes in support of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s federal government. His camp has called for an end to the alleged operations and demanded investigations. Claims of civilian casualties and property destruction have also circulated, but these allegations have not been independently verified.

The central question is whether a foreign military partner is becoming involved in a domestic political contest in ways that could influence which Somali faction controls a regional administration.

Military cooperation intended to protect Somalia from Al-Shabaab must not become a means of settling political disputes between Somalis.

Türkiye should clarify whether its aircraft have conducted operations around Baidoa and, if so, under what authority, for what purpose and with what safeguards for civilians. The Federal Government must also explain the legal basis for any foreign military involvement.

A Political Dispute Cannot Be Settled From the Air

The confrontation in South West State reflects a broader struggle over political authority, elections and relations between Mogadishu and regional administrations. The opposing sides offer sharply different accounts of the conflict. Federal-aligned authorities have portrayed Lafta-gareen’s forces as a security threat, while his supporters describe the campaign against them as an attempt to impose political control through force.

These competing claims require independent scrutiny. They do not justify treating the dispute as a military problem alone.

Somalia’s federal system is intended to manage political authority across different levels of government. Disagreements over leadership, elections and constitutional arrangements should be addressed through negotiations and lawful political processes—not through an escalating contest in which foreign military capabilities could tip the balance.

The danger is especially serious for civilians. Baidoa hosts a large population, including people displaced by drought and conflict. Renewed fighting and reported air operations expose already vulnerable communities to further danger.

Any credible investigation should establish which aircraft and forces were involved, whether civilians were harmed, who authorized the strikes and whether the operations complied with applicable law.

The Federal Government’s Disputed Political Authority

Somalia’s federal authorities and their opponents remain divided over elections, constitutional arrangements and the country’s political transition. Opposition figures dispute the government’s authority to pursue its agenda without a broader political settlement.

In this context, foreign military support for one side risks deepening the political crisis rather than resolving it. Military backing cannot substitute for political legitimacy, and a defence partnership must not become a licence to influence Somalia’s internal political contest.

The Federal Government should disclose the legal and operational arrangements governing foreign military involvement. Parliament and other appropriate oversight institutions should be able to scrutinize those arrangements, including the authorization of air operations and safeguards against civilian harm.

Türkiye, for its part, should cooperate with credible investigations and demonstrate that its military assets are not being used to intensify an internal confrontation.

If credible evidence establishes that foreign forces are being used to advance partisan objectives, Somalia must reconsider the terms of that security relationship. Reclaiming control does not mean rejecting all international assistance; it means ensuring that military cooperation serves the country’s security rather than the interests of a particular political administration.

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