Somalia to launch satellite in partnership with Turkey

Somalia is preparing to launch a satellite from its own soil under a space partnership with Turkey, which is constructing a US$350m spaceport on the Horn of Africa nation’s Indian Ocean coastline.

Construction of the facility began in December and is being overseen by the Turkish Space Agency. Turkey has exclusive rights to the site, which will be used for both rocket launches and the testing of long-range missile systems. The location offers several advantages. Proximity to the equator allows rockets to reach orbit using less fuel, and the adjacent ocean offers a secure environment for long-range missile tests, well away from population centres and commercial flight paths.

The project aligns with Turkey’s national space programme, which includes ambitions to develop home-made satellites and conduct a future moon landing. The Somalia base will enable Ankara to carry out launches without depending on foreign-owned launch sites.

Among the missile systems likely to be tested at the site is the latest version of the Tayfun ballistic missile, Turkey’s longest-range domestically produced weapon. It cannot be trialled domestically because its range exceeds the limits of the country’s existing test sites.

The spaceport adds to Turkey’s growing footprint in Somalia, where it has become a key security and development partner since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s high-profile visit to Mogadishu in 2011. In the years that followed, Turkey opened its largest overseas military base in the country and has since trained thousands of Somali troops. It has also provided drone support in operations against the al-Shabaab militant group, which remains active in the country.

Last year, the two governments signed a defence and economic cooperation agreement. Under the deal, Turkey will help equip and train the Somali navy and support maritime patrols along the country’s coastline. It also plans to begin offshore crude oil extraction following the completion of seismic surveys. In addition, the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation has signed an agreement with Somalia’s petroleum authority for joint onshore hydrocarbon exploration.

Beyond security and energy ties, Turkey has assumed a broader diplomatic role in the region. Tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia escalated after Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland in January 2024, granting Ethiopia access to a stretch of coastline for a naval base and including a pledge to recognise the breakaway region’s independence. Turkey facilitated months of talks aimed at easing the dispute. The discussions culminated in a meeting held in the Turkish capital, between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, brokered by Erdogan.

 

References

‘Ethiopia signs agreement to use Somaliland’s Red Sea port’, Al Jazeera, 01 January 2024

'Turkey confirms Somalia maritime security deal amid Somaliland tensions', Al-Monitor, 22 February 2024

'Somalia and Turkey are becoming firm allies – what’s behind this strategy', The Conversation Africa, 16 October 2024

'Turkey's TPAO, Somalia's petrol authority sign onshore exploration deal', Reuters, 25 October 2024

'Turkey begins building rocket-launching facility in Somalia', Bloomberg, 17 Dec 2024

'Turkey is building a spaceport in Somalia', The Economist, 06 February 2025

'Turkey’s planned spaceport in Somalia to also serve as test site for long-range missiles', Turkish Minute, 06 August 2025

'Somalia to host first satellite launch as Turkey expands strategic cooperation', Somali Guardian, 26 August 2025