Turkey Seeks to Fortify Gas Agreement with Somalia Militarily
Erdogan Submits Proposal to Parliament for Authorization to Deploy Turkish Military Forces in Somalia, Including Territorial Waters
Turkey is preparing to send naval support to Somali waters after the two countries agreed that Ankara would send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia to search for oil and gas. Turkish authorities are interested in controlling the resources and capabilities of peoples in Libya, Syria, and Iraq.
The official Turkish news agency Anadolu reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted a proposal to Parliament late on Friday, requesting authorization to deploy Turkish military forces in Somalia, including Somali territorial waters.
This move came a day after the Turkish Ministry of Energy announced that Turkey would send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia later this year to search for oil and gas as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation agreement between the two countries.
Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia signed an agreement for cooperation in defense and economy during a visit by the Somali Minister of Defense to Ankara.
In recent years, Turkey has become a close ally of the Somali government. Ankara builds schools, hospitals, and infrastructure in Somalia and offers scholarships to Somalis to study in Turkey.
Ankara has strengthened its influence in the Horn of Africa country through humanitarian aid and funding that amounted to $370 million between 2013 and 2018, while Turkish companies have secured the largest infrastructure deals in Somalia, and Turkish goods have flooded Somali markets.
In 2017, Turkey opened its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu. Turkey also provides training for the Somali army and police.
Ankara employs the same policies it used in Libya, whether through agreements described as illegitimate to exploit the wealth of the Libyan people, such as the memorandum of understanding with the previous Government of National Accord or the agreement with the Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.
Ankara seeks to enhance its influence in the Horn of Africa country, exploiting the crisis between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa that erupted after the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia to grant access to the Red Sea through the Port of Berbera.
Turkey has not hidden its bias towards Somalia in the crisis between Mogadishu and Somaliland. Erdogan previously stated that the “worrying tension between Somalia and Ethiopia should end based on the territorial integrity of Somalia,” according to the official Turkish presidency.
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Turkey’s ambitions in Somalia
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Ankara covers up the escape of the Somali President’s Son, demanding clarifications
In January, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi signed an agreement stipulating Somaliland’s consent to lease more than 12 miles of sea access in the Port of Berbera to Addis Ababa for 50 years in exchange for recognizing the independence of the secessionist region.
Somalia represents a vital geographical space for Turkey and countries like Qatar to expand and extend their influence, exploiting the weakness of the existing government in Somalia and the growing power of Al-Shabaab, the Somali branch of Al-Qaeda. Reports indicate strong ties between Al-Shabaab and Doha under various funding covers to mislead the international community and obscure dubious connections.
