Turkiye approves military missions extensions in Gulf of Aden, Somalia
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Turkiye's parliament approved the extension of Ankara's military missions in the Gulf of Aden as well as Somalia and the Arabian Sea for an additional year.
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Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a plenary session at the European Political Community (EPC) Summit in Budapest, November 7, 2024. (AP)
The Grand National Assembly of Turkiye has approved a presidential proposal to extend the Turkish military’s mission in the Gulf of Aden, Somali territorial waters, and the Arabian Sea for another year.
According to reports, the parliamentary session convened to discuss the motion, which extends the deployment of Turkish armed forces in the region. The presidential memorandum emphasized that Turkish soldiers operate under the framework of the United Nations and NATO.
Following speeches from representatives of various political parties, the proposal was put to a vote and was successfully passed.
Expanding influence
In a similar vein, Turkiye is preparing to assume control of a military base in Abéché, eastern Chad, following France's withdrawn from the area. The base was previously used by French forces. The move marks Turkiye's latest effort to expand its military footprint in Africa, filling the strategic void left by Paris.
According to Turkish and Chadian sources, cited by the Heart of Africa news outlet, Turkiye has already stationed drones near the Faya-Largeau base, located near Chad's border with Libya.
Turkish news outlet TRT Haber reported that Chadian authorities officially granted Turkiye control over the Abéché base under an agreement finalized in mid-January. The deal followed negotiations between Turkiye's ambassador in N'Djamena and Chadian officials.
Libyan news outlet Bawabat Al-Wasat reported that Turkiye supplied Chad with Bayraktar drones and stationed military advisors and Turkish company personnel at the Faya-Largeau base.
