Turkey has officially confirmed that it has deployed F-16 fighter jets to Somalia. According to a statement from the Turkish defense ministry on Wednesday, three of these jets participated in a military exercise during the 66th anniversary of Somalia’s National Army on April 14, 2026. The exercise was part of the ceremony commemorating the establishment of the Somali National Army (SNA), and included three Turkish fighter jets flying at a low altitude. The defense ministry also revealed that T129 helicopters and AS-531 Cougar transport aircraft were involved in the exercise. Additionally, a unit of Turkish coastguards, along with war vessels such as TCG Gaziantep, TCG Bartun, TCG Bayraktar, and a fuel tanker vessel, were sent to Somalia. This marks the first time that Turkey has acknowledged the presence of its military fighter jets in Somalia. However, there were previous indications of this, such as a widely circulated photo on social media in June 2025, showing a T129 helicopter flying over the largest Turkish military base in Somalia, known as TURKSOM, where Somali security forces are trained.
