Turkey touts Somalia spaceport as Horn of Africa rivalry heats up
A high-level presidential aide said the facility could open new avenues in defense and technology sharing between Turkey and Somalia.
ANKARA — Turkey’s planned spaceport in Somalia could open new avenues for cooperation in security, the defense industry and technology sharing between the two countries, Burhanettin Duran, a senior aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Wednesday.
Details: Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, described the project as one of Ankara’s most significant partnerships with Mogadishu, calling it an “exciting” initiative.
“I think that this exciting project will not only enhance the international standing of Turkey and Somalia but also pave the way for new opportunities in many areas, including security, the defense industry and technology sharing,” Duran told a panel titled "Turkey-Somalia Relations in the Process of Global Transformation" held Wednesday in Ankara.
Background: Construction of the spaceport facility on Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast began last year following the completion of feasibility and design studies.
The project was launched on land allocated by Somalia under a bilateral cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in 2024. Though the full legal framework remains unclear, the site is described as equator-adjacent and spanning roughly 900 square kilometers (roughly 348 square miles), Turkish media reported in August.
Somalia’s proximity to the equator is expected to lower fuel costs and increase payload efficiency, supporting Ankara’s broader push to develop indigenous launch capabilities under its national space program.
Turkey’s first overseas spaceport is intended to support satellite launches overseen by the Turkish Space Agency, as well as to facilitate testing of domestically developed missiles as part of efforts to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers in the defense sector.
The construction timeline and cost estimates for the spaceport, however, have not yet been disclosed.
Still, Duran’s remarks came as Turkey is increasing its footprint in a series of fields in Somalia, which is the springboard of Turkey’s Africa outreach.
The country in the Horn of Africa already hosts one of Turkey’s largest overseas military bases, which secures a strategic military foothold for Ankara in the Horn of Africa.
Earlier this month, Ankara also dispatched its first drilling ship to Somali waters following Turkish seismic research for hydrocarbon resources off the coast of Somalia between 2024 and 2025.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in December that Ankara was hopeful about three offshore blocks, roughly 5,000 square kilometers (roughly 1,931 square miles) each.
Why it matters: With Turkey’s increasing footprint in Somalia, rivalry in the Horn of Africa has intensified after Israel in December announced its recognition of Somaliland. The breakaway region declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has operated autonomously ever since, though it remains unrecognized by any other country except Israel.
“We are openly and clearly opposed to Israel’s move to recognize Somaliland,” Duran said.
Turkey, a vocal supporter of Somalia’s territorial integrity, sees the Israeli move as further destabilizing the African country and ultimately threatening Ankara’s own interests in the region. Somalia has already been conflict-scarred for years and has battled Al-Shabaab militants for more than a decade.
Ankara formally designated Somalia’s territorial integrity a national security priority last month.
Know more: The growing rivalry between Turkey and Israel in the region also has implications for other countries with vested interests in Somalia. The United Arab Emirates, which has built strong commercial and security ties with Somaliland through port investments and logistics projects, maintains a strategic foothold along key Red Sea shipping routes, although Abu Dhabi has not formally recognized the breakaway region’s independence.
Qatar, which has expanded defense cooperation with Mogadishu through training programs for the Somali National Army and broader security assistance in recent years, remains closely aligned with Ankara in supporting Somalia’s territorial integrity.
China has likewise backed Somalia’s sovereignty — consistent with Beijing’s broader opposition to separatist movements — while seeking to protect its growing commercial presence in the country.
So far, China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the European Union and a majority of African states have denounced Israeli recognition of Somaliland. The Trump administration has also said it does not intend to follow Israel’s move.
