Turkey advances plans for rocket launch facility in Somalia
Turkey has reportedly started developing a rocket launch facility in Somalia, with construction beginning in December 2024, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud revealed.
Speaking to Military Africa , Mohamud highlighted the projects potential to generate significant revenue and job opportunities for the East African nation. While the exact location remains undisclosed, Somalias equatorial proximity and access to the Indian Ocean make it a suitable site for rocket launches, offering reduced energy costs and safe ocean landing zones for debris.
The launch facility is a pivotal component of Turkeys ambitious 10-year space programme, initiated in 2021, which aims to position the country as a global space power through satellite system advancements and spaceport developments.
Beyond the space initiative, Turkey has been a major investor in Somalia, contributing to sectors such as health, education, defence and energy. Earlier in 2024, the two nations signed a deal granting Turkey 30% of Somalias exclusive economic zone revenue in exchange for rebuilding and equipping the Somali Navy.
Turkeys contributions also extend to infrastructure development, including modernising Mogadishu Airport and Port, rehabilitating main roads, and enhancing public services. These investments aim to boost Somalias economy and security, fostering a stronger bilateral relationship.
President Mohamud said: Somalia hosting a launchpad for Turkish satellites is even more meaningful than the billions of dollars and opportunities it will generate.
Turkeys partnership with Somalia strengthens its influence in the Horn of Africa while positioning Somalia as a key regional player. The relationship, rooted in historical ties dating back to the Ottoman Empire, has deepened since Turkey reopened its Mogadishu embassy in 2011.
Bilateral trade has also grown, reaching $389m in 2022, with Turkey exporting $386m worth of goods, including pasta, and Somalia exporting $2.5m, primarily in oily seeds. Tags: Turkeyrocket launchrocket launch facilityHassan Sheikh Mohamud
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
44 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Armenia and Azerbaijan to ink peace memorandum under Trump mediation
Azerbaijan and Armenia are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding in Washington on Friday, committing to the pursuit of peace, according to regional sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Middle East Eye. The sources said that US President Donald Trump will host Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House for the signing ceremony. Although Armenia and Azerbaijan reached consensus on a draft peace agreement in March, Baku continues to insist on several additional conditions before finalising the deal. Chief among Azerbaijan's demands is that Yerevan amend its constitution to remove references to Azerbaijani territory, a step that would require a national referendum in Armenia. The anticipated White House summit follows a meeting between the two leaders in Abu Dhabi in July. Following the meeting, Aliyev said both countries could finalise the text of the agreement, or at least its main principles, within a few months and then initial them. 'Reaching an agreement on the basic principles, initialing them, and then working on the text can be an option,' Aliyev said, emphasising that such an approach hinges on Armenia amending its constitution. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Sources added that the two leaders are expected to sign a 'letter of intent' rather than a draft peace agreement, providing Trump with a diplomatic achievement he has been seeking in the region since last month. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov called his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday to inform him about the summit, a third regional source told MEE. Turkish foreign ministry sources said that Fidan discussed bilateral and regional issues with Bayramov. MEE has reached out to both Armenian and Azerbaijani governments for comment. Why Trump is trying to put his seal on an Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal Read More » One of the main sticking points remains the so-called Zangezur Corridor, which would link mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave, Nakhchivan, through Armenian territory. Armenia rejects the term Zangezur Corridor, arguing that it carries irredentist implications for its sovereign territory, known as Syunik. Last month, US Ambassador Thomas Barrack officially proposed that an American company could lease and operate the corridor for 100 years, aiming to address the concerns of both sides over security and reliability of the transport route. However, Armenia rejected the proposal, stating it would not lease its sovereign territory to any third country. A regional source familiar with the negotiations told MEE that Turkey initially suggested the idea of a private company, approved by both Armenia and Azerbaijan, managing the corridor. 'However, the Armenian side demanded that the company also operate on the Nakhchivan side of the corridor, which was unacceptable to Baku,' the source explained. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan dates back to the 1993 Nagorno-Karabakh war, when Armenian forces seized the disputed enclave - recognised by the United Nations as Azerbaijani territory, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. After a bloody six-week war in late 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in September 2023 to retake Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in a ceasefire agreement. Most ethnic Armenians fled, and the breakaway region was officially dissolved on 1 January 2024.
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkish President Erdogan welcomes steps by European countries to recognise a Palestinian state
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed steps being taken by European countries to recognise a Palestinian state. 'We find the recent humanitarian reactions coming from Europe, particularly from France and Britain, very valuable. We welcome every step taken toward recognition of the State of Palestine,' Erdogan said. 'No one can remain silent in the face of the atrocities in Gaza, where children are dying of hunger and civilians seeking food are deliberately shot,' he added. France announced last week it would recognise a Palestinian state. The move was followed by the UK on Tuesday and Portugal on Thursday.
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Libya's GNU strikes smuggling networks with Turkish drones in message to rivals
Libya's internationally recognised government has begun using Turkish drones to strike people-smuggling networks. Strikes were carried out on Wednesday in the northwestern coastal cities of Sabratha and Zwara, the Government of National Unity (GNU) announced. The strikes were 'part of a systematic security campaign and comprehensive strategic plan aimed at intensifying operations to degrade and dismantle the criminal gangs and networks trafficking in human lives and people-smuggling into Europe,' Abdulsalam Al-Zoubi, the GNU's deputy defence minister, said on Thursday. 'These operations, which included the inaugural use of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], demonstrate the determination and zero-tolerance approach of the GNU in tackling these criminal networks and disrupting their illegal activity.' A source within the GNU told Middle East Eye that the drones were 'Turkish UAVs owned and operated by the Libyan Ministry of Defence'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters While authorities have previously carried out air strikes against such groups, this was their first use of drones. The defence ministry said it targeted factories used to manufacture boats and other equipment essential to people and weapon-smuggling schemes. 'No civilian casualties' For several years, criminal organisations have operated along Libya's coast, particularly in the northwest, facilitating irregular migration for people trying to reach Europe from the African continent. The ministry said it issued warnings to residents in Sabratha and Zwara ahead of the strikes, and that no civilian casualties were reported. Emadeddin Badi, an expert on Libyan security and politics, said Zoubi's involvement in these strikes was significant. 'He recently visited Turkey and is the person that has coordinated these strikes with Turkish support,' Badi told MEE. Trump envoy Massad Boulos to visit Libya amid rising tensions, sources say Read More » 'His involvement, especially from Mitiga, is a signal that he's asserting operational autonomy, even within the GNU's own command structure.' Mitiga is an airport in Tripoli that was the source of tension recently between the GNU and Rada, a powerful armed group. 'Their coordination from this base is a big signal that is key to unpacking [the strikes'] significance,' said Badi. The analyst added that while some reports, citing GNU officials, had framed the strikes as being carried out by Turkish Akinci drones, he had received information to suggest that Bayraktar TB2 drones had been used. 'Akincis are based between Wutiya and Misrata, whereas the recent strikes originated from Mitiga, which only hosts TB2s,' he said. Zoubi stated that the strikes sent a clear message to non-state actors in Libya that all measures, including military actions within international law, would be taken to 're-establish border control, strengthen national security, and reaffirm the sovereignty of the state'. Over the past decade, trafficking and smuggling along the coast has been a key tool used by militias and non-state actors in Libya to wield political and financial influence. Eastern Libya is controlled by a rival administration dominated by Khalifa Haftar, a military commander. Two years ago, people smugglers in the east linked to Haftar were accused of involvement in a deadly shipwreck off the coast of Greece that killed more than 500 people. Badi said that as well as targeting smugglers, Wednesday's operation also targeted those loyal to Mohamed Bahroun, known as al-Far (the rat), a prominent militia leader and known GNU opponent. 'It also serves as a deterrent message to rivals in the west coast,' he said. 'That kind of signalling aligns closely with Ankara's broader goal in Libya: avoiding another armed confrontation in Tripoli.'
