MOGADISHU, Somalia — Türkiye will broaden its role in Somalia with new projects, including a space base and expanded fisheries cooperation.
Turkish Ambassador Alper Aktas made the announcement during the opening ceremony of Somalia’s Second National Fisheries Week in Mogadishu, themed “Food Security and Quality Assurance.”
Aktas said initiatives once considered unrealistic are now operational, including Türkiye’s embassy compound, the TURKSOM Military Training Base and the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital in Mogadishu.
He highlighted fisheries as a major opportunity, estimating “approximately $2 billion worth of resources await annually in the ocean for Somalia’s economic development and prosperity.”
“Together with Turkish fishing vessels, we will share those resources, ensuring Somali brothers receive the benefit they deserve,” the ambassador said.
Aktas also revealed plans for space cooperation, promising construction of a space base in Somalia to launch satellites into orbit in future years.
He also reiterated Türkiye’s record on promises, saying it delivered on oil and gas exploration and would meet commitments on fisheries too.
“The Türkiye-Somalia brotherhood will continue to disappoint those seeking to weaken our cooperation and faith in shared development goals,” Aktas said.
The announcement builds on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s landmark 2011 visit during Somalia’s worst drought, a moment Somali leaders say ended decades of isolation.