Critics view Turkish presence in Somalia even after elections as means to build its influence

 On the eve of January 25, the clash between the Dervish forces of Jubaland State and the government forces of Gurgur, backed by Turkish forces showed deep infiltration of latter in the African country’s internal affairs.

 

Turkish forces set their feet in Somalia back in 2010 in the name of providing humanitarian to latter, post a deadly drought which took away a quarter of a million lives. Gradually the aid organizations were replaced by Turkish companies, who took over the control of the country’s key port in Mogadishu and Adam Adi International Airport in the capital, along with managing health and educational institutions across Somalia.

 

Unlike the previous decade, Ankara is no more limiting its influence to Mogadishu’s port and aid work. It has seeped further in reaching out for the country’s political corridors with an aim to introduce Qatari plan of setting an authoritarian system, leaning towards Turkish-Qatari axis.

 

Turkey, which has its military base in Mogadishu, has been using it to train two major wings of Somali forces (Harmad and Gurgor) to control internal events of the country. Harmad comprise the country’s police force ranging between 900 to 1000 soldiers, while Gurgor form its special military force, consisting of 5000 troops. Both the forces receive high-level military first at the Turksom base in Mogadishu and then in Turkey. Besides the military training, Ankara is also known for supplying arms and ammunition to these Somali forces. These troops receive direct orders from two key sources: President Farmaajo, and the Turkish officers at the Turksom base. It shows the extent of influence the country holds over Somalia.

 

Last December, Reuters revealed that Turkish plan of supplying Harmad forces with 1,000 machine guns and 150,000 bullets, sparked criticism in the Council of Candidates' Union, where the protestors sent a letter to the Turkish embassy in Somalia on December 16 pressuring Ankara to postpone its armament plan. The members of the council believed that heavy arming of the forces could impact the country’s 2021 elections.

 

To deal with the upcoming elections, Somali federal government has been using these militarized troops to control rise in friction in any region. Of late, the African country’s government transferred units of Gurgor battalion to Gedo Province to control the rebellious forces of the Jubaland State Administration and later removed them from large parts of the province in place of the positions earlier held by the Jubaland forces in the province.

 

Besides, in early December 2020, the federal government also transferred hundreds of Gurgor forces to the city of Tusumareb, the capital of the state of Galmuz, for reasons related to the upcoming elections, as some state ministers claim. Observers contest that Turkey has been trying to keep the current regime in power by extending its muscle might to it, though many wonder what would happen if the tables turn.