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Turkish Air Force F-16 Vipers can be seen flying over the skies of Somalia in new videos that have emerged online. The deployment of these jets comes as Turkey is seeking to increase its presence in the troubled nation where the al-Shabab extremist group is wreaking havoc.
One video shows a Turkish F-16 taking off, afterburner ignited, from an airport in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
F-16 fighter jets are currently conducting test flights over Mogadishu this morning. These aircraft arrived in Somalia on Wednesday, signifying Türkiye’s increasing support for the nation. It is quite probable that the Somali government is making preparations for the eventual… pic.twitter.com/VPMwXN0MIA
— Bahdo Online (@Baxdo_Online) February 3, 2026
Another video shows a Turkish Air Force F-16 flying at low altitude over the city.
The three Turkish F-16s landed at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on January 28, according to Somali government officials. The jets were “accompanied by two military helicopters intended to support operations against Al-Shabaab across southern and central Somalia,” according to the Horn Review media outlet. “While there has been no confirmation of active airstrikes conducted by the jets, their presence alone introduces a new operational dimension.”
This deployment marks “the first time Turkey has forward deployed manned combat aircraft into Somalia, expanding its role beyond drones, transport aviation and advisory support,” the publication added.
Turkish F-16C. (Photo by Mustafa Hatipoglu/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu
“Ankara has been constructing a facility to host the F-16s over the past few months,” according to the Middle East Eye. “Turkish engineers [had] reportedly been working at the international airport for several days to prepare the site for the arrival of the jets.”
The F-16 deployment is a way for Ankara “to step up strikes on al-Shabaab militants and protect its growing interests in the Horn of Africa country,” Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
“The move is meant to bolster Turkish drone operations against the Islamist group,” which is linked to al-Qaeda and has been waging an insurgency against the government in Mogadishu for two decades, Bloomberg posited. “The Indian Ocean city — Somalia’s capital — is home to Turkey’s largest overseas military base, while Ankara is building a nearby site to test missiles and space rockets.”
Turkey has a growing interest in the country’s energy industry and wants to increase trade overall, according to Middle East Eye. In addition, Somalia has vast untapped mineral wealth. The country “holds significant potential in critical minerals such as aluminium, copper, iron, rare earth elements, and titanium,” according to the SMA Oxford consulting firm. These minerals are vital for clean energy technologies, including batteries, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems for civilian and military use.
Ankara’s deployment of its F-16s comes as al-Shabab has been resurgent across Somalia.
A view of destroyed buildings and vehicles after an attack by the terrorist organization called al-Shabaab on a hotel in Beledweyne city of Hirshabelle state in Hiran region on March 12, 2025. It was reported that 6 people were killed during the attack. (Photo by Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu
The jihadi group’s actions have spurred the Trump administration to carry out an increasing number of airstrikes against the group.
“These airstrikes have grown sharply in number during U.S. President Donald Trump’s time in office as Washington targets the al-Shabab and ISIS-Somalia jihadist groups,” Semafor reported. “A year into Trump 2.0, the number of strikes in Somalia is already at 144. That is more than half of the tally from Trump’s entire first term, which was itself record-breaking, according to the nonprofit think tank New America.”
There may be another motivating factor for Turkey to bring F-16s to Somalia. Israel, its regional rival, “became the first country to recognize the Republic of Somaliland, a northeastern part of Somalia that has claimed independence for decades,” Reuters reported. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would seek immediate cooperation in agriculture, health, technology and the economy.”
Turkey and Israel have long jostled for influence in the Middle East, and now it appears this competition has spread to the Horn of Africa, where Turkey continues to expand its footprint. Somalia is strategically located, with a long Gulf of Aden coastline across from Yemen and another coastline along the Arabian Sea section of the Indian Ocean.
Somalia. (Google Earth)
The Turkish government is increasing its training and support activities in Somalia aimed at strengthening the country’s security and stability, Turkey’s Minister of Defense, Yaşar Güler, recently stated, according to TIKLS Briefs, a daily newsletter delivering security analysis and news on the Horn of Africa. “Turkey has also established new military facilities in Somalia, including the Somali Air Command and the TURKSOM training camp in Mogadishu.”
“In Somalia, we recently established the Air Force Command, which includes facilities for helicopters and drones,” added Güler.
Turkey entered Somalia in 2011, helping to build the Somali National Army (SNA) by providing training, vehicles, equipment, and financial support, TIKLS Briefs noted.
This is not the first time Turkey has forward-deployed its Vipers.
As we previously reported, Ankara sent six F-16s to Azerbaijan during a flare-up with that nation’s fighting with Armenia in 2020. You can see a satellite image of that deployment below.
There were six F-16s at Gabala International Airport in Azerbaijan, an Oct. 19 @Maxar satellite image shows. It’s likely that these are the Turkish Air Force fighter jets that moved from Ganja after the city was shelled. https://t.co/49CICDF6QS
— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) October 25, 2020
It is unknown at the moment how long the Turkish F-16s will stay in Somalia. Regardless, it appears that Turkey is planning to maintain a military presence in this war-torn country for quite some time.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for The War Zone, and a former Senior Managing Editor for Military Times. Prior to this, he covered military affairs for the Tampa Bay Times as a Senior Writer. Howard’s work has appeared in various publications including Yahoo News, RealClearDefense, and Air Force Times.