Camp TURKSOM
Camp TURKSOM (Somali: Xerada TURKSOM, Turkish: Somali Türk Görev Kuvveti Komutanlığı) is a Turkish military base and a defence university in Mogadishu, Somalia. Since its inception, Camp TURKSOM serves as the main hub of the task force dubbed "African Eagle" in which Turkey aims to train and prepare the officers and NCOs of the Somali Armed Forces, thereby helping the Somali government in its efforts to build a national military force that can sustain itself. The Turkish training are aimed at aiding the Somali soldiers in fighting against Al-Shabaab, which received criticism from AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for replicating its efforts with regards to military training. The military base serves as Turkey's largest Overseas military base. It covers a space of 400 hectares. Camp TURKSOM also has various political implications, as the military base, while countering Al Shabaab's foreign policy, politically serves Turkish interests and improves Turkey-Somalia relations. Criticisms have been posed to the base due to its centrality in Mogadishu leaving out other regions of Somalia such as Puntland and Somaliland. History The base was formally opened on September 30, 2017, in a ceremony presided by Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire of Somalia and General Hulusi Akar, Chief