# Turkey Launches First Overseas Spaceport in Somalia

> Mustaqbal Media reported Turkey launched construction of its first overseas spaceport in Somalia, but no site, cost, contractor, or funding is given.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: utilities, ports
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/turkey-spaceport-somalia-construction

## Key points

- Mustaqbal Media reported on 2025-12-31 that Turkey has launched construction of its first overseas spaceport in Somalia.
- The report does not establish a specific site, project cost, contractor, funding source, or construction start date.
- Erdoğan also announced plans to begin offshore drilling in Somalia in 2026, with two new vessels to be deployed.

On 31 December 2025, Mustaqbal Media reported that Turkey has launched construction of its first overseas spaceport in Somalia. The report does not establish what has happened since, nor does it provide a specific construction start date or site.

Speaking on the project, Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said the spaceport will enable Turkey to conduct independent satellite launches and support the development of a domestic space ecosystem, including rocket engines, propulsion systems, avionics, and other critical aerospace technologies, according to Mustaqbal Media.

The facility will be located near the equator, a position that offers technical advantages for space launches due to lower fuel requirements, favorable weather conditions, and minimal air and sea traffic, Mustaqbal Media reported. Turkish officials say the spaceport is expected to serve the global commercial launch market, generate revenue, and contribute to Somalia's economic development, Mustaqbal Media reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the project reflects Turkey's growing technological ambitions and its expanding partnership with Somalia, Mustaqbal Media quoted him as saying. At a joint press briefing in Istanbul alongside President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Erdoğan also announced that Turkey plans to begin offshore drilling operations in Somalia in 2026, describing the move as one that would significantly benefit the Somali people, according to Mustaqbal Media.

Erdoğan said that substantial progress has already been made in exploring Somalia's offshore oil and gas resources, and that technical and scientific assessments conducted so far have yielded positive results, Mustaqbal Media quoted him as saying. He described the findings as an important milestone in Somalia's economic recovery and long-term development and prosperity.

Erdoğan said two new deep-sea drilling vessels, Çağrı Bey and Yıldırım, have been added to Turkey's fleet. The vessels will be deployed separately, with one operating off the coast of Somalia and the other in the Black Sea, Mustaqbal Media reported.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed the developments, emphasizing that the spaceport and energy cooperation underscore Somalia's growing role in regional and global strategic initiatives, according to Mustaqbal Media.

The Mustaqbal Media report does not state the project's value, contract value, funding source, contractor, consultant or client for the spaceport. It also does not provide a specific site, land allocation, construction start record, or quantified data to support the claims of substantial progress or positive results.

## Questions

### Where in Somalia is the spaceport being built?

The report only states the facility will be near the equator; no specific site, region, or coordinates are given.

### Who is the contractor for the spaceport?

The report does not name a contractor, consultant, or client.

### What is the timeline for the spaceport?

The report does not provide a construction start date or completion date.

## Sources

- [Turkey Begins Construction of First Overseas Spaceport in Somalia](https://mustaqbalmedia.net/en/turkey-begins-construction-of-first-overseas-spaceport-in-somalia/) — Mustaqbal Media, 2025-12-31