Turkey Eyes Somalia as Strategic Partner in Expanding Missile Production Amid Regional Tensions

ANKARA – In response to escalating tensions in the Middle East, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ordered an acceleration of the country’s missile production plans, with a strategic eye on Somalia as a potential testing and development site for long-range missile and space rocket programs.

The move comes amid growing fears of a broader regional conflict following five consecutive days of Israeli-Iranian attacks. Erdoğan stated during a late-night cabinet briefing on Monday that Turkey must bolster its medium- and long-range missile arsenal to a “deterrent level,” citing recent developments as a clear security wake-up call.

“In light of recent events, we are making production plans to bring our missile stockpiles to a credible deterrence level,” Erdoğan announced.

As part of this push, Somalia has emerged as a strategic partner. Turkey is reportedly planning to establish a missile and space launch testing facility on Somali territory, leveraging the Horn of Africa nation’s geography and Ankara’s deepening bilateral ties with Mogadishu.

This facility is intended to support the testing of Turkish-developed long-range missiles such as the Tayfun ballistic missile, whose range currently exceeds 560 kilometers.

Turkey’s defense ambitions are not new. President Erdoğan has long championed a fully autonomous military-industrial complex, producing warplanes, tanks, frigates, high-altitude drones, and now, advanced missile systems—both for domestic use and export.

As European states scramble to rearm due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and U.S. uncertainty under Donald Trump, Ankara sees a window to expand its defense exports. A March deal between Turkish drone-maker Baykar and Italy’s Leonardo for joint UAV development is among the latest milestones.

Erdoğan’s government, particularly its nationalist bloc, has increasingly framed Israeli military actions as a direct threat to regional stability. “The operation conducted in Iran is, in a way, a malicious message to Turkey,” said Erdoğan ally Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), last week.

Erdoğan emphasized that the missile development process would be rapid and transformational. “Hopefully, in a short period of time, we will reach a level of defense capability where no one will dare challenge us,” he said.