The Turkish parliament passed a motion calling for the deployment of Turkish troops to Somalia, including to cover the country’s maritime zone.
Part of Turkish troops will be deployed to Somalia for two years to support the country’s security efforts against terrorism and other threats, Xinhua reported, citing the motion passed on Saturday.
The move follows the signing in February of a defense and economic cooperation agreement between Turkey and Somalia aimed at strengthening Somalia’s maritime defense capabilities, the motion said.
“Our friendly relations with Somalia will be strengthened as will our country’s support against terrorism, maritime robbery and armed robbery in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and adjacent areas that threaten international peace and stability and adversely affect our national interests,” it added.
In mid-July, Turkey’s Energy Ministry announced that Turkey would send an oil and gas exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia later this year as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation agreement between the two countries.
