Turkey's Ministry of National Defence has denied that it plans to deploy 15,000 troops to Somalia, stating the claims "do not reflect the truth."
The figure originated with the Somali Guardian, which reported the force would arrive before January 2027 to replace Ugandan troops
Assessment
Turkey is publicly pushing back against a specific troop deployment number that had been circulating in Somali media. The denial from the Ministry of National Defence directly contradicts the Somali Guardian report, which claimed a 15,000-strong force would replace Ugandan troops by early 2027. What remains unclear is whether Turkey denies any deployment at all or only disputes the scale and timeline. Watch for official Turkish or Somali government statements clarifying whether any security cooperation agreement exists between the two countries.