MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – CEO of Turkey’s drone maker Baykar, Haluk Bayraktar, met with Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during a visit to the capital Mogadishu on Saturday, months after Ankara and Mogadishu signed a new defense agreement.
Details of what Somali President and Bayraktar discussed have not been disclosed.
The trip comes after Ankara increased the use of its Bayraktar TB2 drones in supporting Somali army operations and carrying out air strikes on Al-Shabaab-held areas. Dozens of Somali civilians have been killed in Turkish air strikes over the past years, drawing condemnation from human rights groups.
In a post on X, Baykraktar discussed growing cooperation between Mogadishu and Ankara on the areas of defense, security and infrastructure development.
He said relations between the two countries reached new heights with the “Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement” signed this year.
“Turkey will protect Somalia’s territorial waters for 10 years and contribute to the development of sea and energy resources,” he added.
