Somalia and Türkiye Advance $350M Equatorial Spaceport Cooperation

Somali Ambassador to Türkiye, Fathudin Ali Mohamed 'Fathi Ospite,' held discussions with Yusuf Kıraç, President of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), regarding the ongoing development of Somalia's strategic spaceport facility.

Turkey, through its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has announced plans to construct a $350 million spaceport in Somalia as part of its ambitious space exploration program.

Somalia was chosen for its strategic location, which provides optimal conditions for rocket launches due to the earth's rotational speed at the equator, reducing fuel requirements and improving payload capacity.

A Turkish military transport docked at Mogadishu Port in February 2026, offloading a shipment of M48 and M60 Patton battle tanks in a move that signals a significant escalation of Ankara's military footprint in the Horn of Africa.

The location is reportedly being prepared for missile and satellite launch operations, leveraging Somalia's equatorial position—an optimal site for aerospace trajectories.