Garowe, Somalia — A Turkish-flagged vessel transporting armored personnel carriers (APCs) and other military hardware reportedly suffered a systems malfunction off the coast of Somalia’s Puntland state, prompting an emergency response by local maritime police.
According to security officials in Puntland, the vessel experienced a mechanical failure on Wednesday night while en route to Mogadishu. Maritime police units boarded the stranded ship and are said to have filmed video evidence confirming the presence of military-grade vehicles, including APCs, on board.
Preliminary reports indicate the vessel’s intended destination was the Turkish-run TURKSOM military training facility in Mogadishu, though Somali and Turkish officials have not publicly confirmed this.
A Puntland security source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, told reporters that discussions are underway to potentially tow the ship to a secure port along Somalia’s northeastern coastline for further inspection and safety.
“This situation is being closely monitored. We are still determining whether the equipment was bound for use by Turkish forces or to be handed over to Somali soldiers trained by the Turkish military,” the source said.
Turkey has significantly expanded its military presence in Somalia in recent years, including the construction of a large base in Mogadishu and the training of thousands of Somali National Army (SNA) personnel. The timing of this maritime incident comes amid ongoing efforts to bolster Somali security forces in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
Neither the Somali federal government nor the Turkish embassy in Mogadishu has issued an official statement on the incident as of this publication.
Local authorities have assured that there is no immediate threat posed by the stranded vessel and that efforts are being made to resolve the situation in coordination with Turkish officials.