Turkey will deploy naval support to Somali waters following an agreement between the two countries for Ankara to send an exploration vessel to prospect for oil and gas off the Somali coast.
President Tayyip Erdogan submitted a motion to the Turkish parliament late on Friday, seeking authorization for the deployment of Turkish military forces to Somalia, including its territorial waters, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.
This move follows an announcement by the Turkish energy ministry that an exploration vessel will be dispatched to Somalia later this year as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation deal between the two nations.
Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia signed a defense and economic cooperation agreement during the Somali defense minister’s visit to Ankara.
Turkey has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years, building schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, and providing scholarships for Somali students to study in Turkey.
In 2017, Turkey opened its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu and has since been training Somali military and police forces.
