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Defence & Security News - Turkey
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Turkey completes first military base in Africa to fight against Al-Shabaab terrorists
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Turkey has completed equipping its first military base in Africa in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, which is also the second overseas military installation, local daily Sabah said Friday. The base, which is expected to be operational soon, will host Turkish military officers to train Somali troops against the terrorist organization.
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 The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud |
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Some 200 Turkish officers will be deployed to the base in the first stage to train 10,500 Somalian soldiers, the report said.
Turkey and Somalia inked a defense cooperation agreement on Jan. 25, 2015 in the framework of Turkey's pledge to build up a national army for the Somalian state. The deal has been subsequently approved by the United Nations. The military base is seen as output of increasing security threats which caused concerns in both Mogadishu and Ankara. Turkey has been providing military support to Somalia for over five years, under the military and financial cooperation deals between the two countries. Somalian authorities face serious challenges from the al-Qaida-aligned Al-Shabab terrorists, which also pose security threats to the Turkish mission in Somalia. Turkish first overseas military base was established in Qatar in April as part of a security agreement. |
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