Paris/Mogadishu (WDN) – French newspaper Le Monde has reported that Turkey is constructing an ambitious aerospace and long-range missile testing complex in central Somalia, a project that, if completed as described, would mark one of Ankara’s most significant strategic investments in Africa and dramatically expand its technological and military footprint in the region.

According to the report, the sprawling facility will serve a dual purpose: a satellite launch center supporting Turkey’s expanding space program and a long-range ballistic missile testing site, underscoring Ankara’s growing ambitions in both civilian space technology and advanced defense capabilities.

Le Monde has reported that Turkey is constructing an ambitious aerospace and long-range missile testing complex in central Somalia, a project that, if completed as described, would mark one of Ankara’s most significant strategic investments in Africa and dramatically expand its technological and military footprint in the region.

According to the report, the sprawling facility will serve a dual purpose: a satellite launch center supporting Turkey’s expanding space program and a long-range ballistic missile testing site, underscoring Ankara’s growing ambitions in both civilian space technology and advanced defense capabilities.

Le Monde said the project was officially unveiled in December 2025 as a joint Somali-Turkish initiative focused on space technology and scientific cooperation. However, the newspaper argues that the facility represents the culmination of more than a decade of strategic planning aimed at transforming Somalia into a key hub for Turkey’s geopolitical and technological ambitions in the Horn of Africa.

The report describes the complex as the product of more than 15 years of sustained political, military, and economic investment by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Somalia. It suggests the project could significantly strengthen Turkey’s ballistic missile program while potentially altering the strategic balance of power across the Middle East and parts of Africa.

According to Le Monde, construction officially began in mid-October 2025 near the coastal town of Warsheekh, approximately 70 kilometers north of Mogadishu. Shortly after work commenced, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a bilateral space cooperation agreement, a move the newspaper portrays as the latest milestone in the rapidly expanding strategic partnership between Ankara and Mogadishu.

The report also cited a study published in May by the Middle East Forum, which argued that if the site is ultimately used for ballistic missile testing, much of Africa and the Middle East would fall within the potential range of missiles launched from the facility.

According to that study, the site is likely designed to support missiles with ranges of up to 2,000 kilometers. While such a range would reportedly fall short of reaching Israel from Somalia, the study argues that it would nevertheless provide Turkey with substantially enhanced military reach across the wider region.

Le Monde further noted that such capabilities could extend over large parts of East Africa and the Horn of Africa, including Somaliland, which the report claims has strengthened security ties with Israel.

The newspaper also observed that President Erdoğan has recently intensified his criticism of Israel, issuing increasingly forceful public statements over the conflict in the Middle East and, on several occasions, raising the possibility of military action.

Neither the Somali nor Turkish governments immediately responded to the claims outlined in the report. If confirmed, the project would represent one of the most ambitious aerospace and defense initiatives ever undertaken on Somali territory, highlighting the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries while raising fresh questions about its broader geopolitical implications for the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.

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