Turkey's Somalia spaceport doubles as missile range, threatening Israel

Turkey is developing a space and ballistic missile launch site in central Somalia, combining a satellite launch base for the Turkish space program with a testing site for long-range ballistic missiles, according to a report on Wednesday by French newspaper La Monde. Officially announced in December 2025 as a technological partnership between Somalia and Turkey, the spaceport is the most consequential layer in a decade-long project to turn Somalia into a forward operating base.The construction of this spaceport is the culmination of 15 years of political, military, and economic investment by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, allowing Turkey to increase the range of their ballistic missile program, increasing the potential threat to Israel.In mid-October 2025, Turkey began work on the base on the outskirts of Warsheikh, approximately 70 kilometers north of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, Le Monde reported.Shortly after construction began, Erdogan and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a space cooperation treaty, the latest move in the countries' long-term partnership.New launch site poses potential threat to IsraelAn investigation by the Middle East Forum in May found that a missile test facility in this location would place most of Africa and the Middle East within range for ballistic missile strikes, creating concrete implications for Israel as relations with Turkey become increasingly hostile.Although the think tank believes that the facility is designed only to accommodate systems with a range of up to 2,000 km., placing Israel out of reach, this power projection capability would place Somaliland, militarily supported by Israel, within Turkey's potential range.In recent months, Erdogan's anti-Israel rhetoric has increased, with the Turkish President repeatedly threatening military action against Israel.Last month, US President Donald Trump acknowledged Erdogan's strained relationship with Israel, explaining that Turkey wanted to join the war with Iran but, at his request, agreed "to stay out of it."Erdogan's harsh anti-Israel rhetoric is considered to be part of his ongoing narrative attempting to position Turkey as a staunch defender of Palestinian rights.