Turkey’s Naval Deployment off Somalia: Security Partnership or a New Contest for Somali Waters?

Mogadishu (WDN) — Turkey’s decision to deploy two warships to waters off the Horn of Africa has triggered a new debate in Somalia over the real purpose of Ankara’s expanding maritime role—and whether the operation will protect Somalia’s territorial waters or deepen concerns over foreign access to its marine resources.

The Turkish Navy is sending the TCG Kemalreis and TCG Yzb. Güngör Durmuş to the region, with the vessels expected to operate from or around Djibouti while supporting Somalia’s federal maritime forces, counter-piracy operations and the protection of maritime supply routes linking the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

Turkey says the deployment is aimed at strengthening cooperation with the Somali federal government and helping combat piracy and terrorism. The move follows renewed concerns over Somali piracy, including the hijacking of the MV Lutuf, a vessel reportedly carrying equipment from Turkey to a Turkish military facility in Mogadishu.

But in Somalia, the deployment is being viewed through a far more suspicious lens. Critics, including members of the political opposition, question whether Turkey’s expanding military presence is genuinely designed to protect Somalia’s maritime security or whether Ankara is positioning itself to gain greater access to Somalia’s strategically valuable waters and marine resources.