Somalia: Turkish commander awards Erdoğan medal to Somali army officer in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey's Land Forces Commander, Gen. Metin Tokel, awarded a medal on behalf of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to a Somali military officer during a visit to Mogadishu, according to reports, raising questions over whether the honor was conferred through Somalia's official state protocol.

The recipient was identified as Lt. Col. Aadan Mohamed Farah, commander of the Somali National Army's 18th Gorgor Brigade in the Middle Shabelle region.

Reports said the award was presented directly by the Turkish commander without following Somalia's formal government procedures for the acceptance of foreign state decorations. Somali authorities have not publicly commented on the claims.

Lt. Col. Aadan commands forces tasked with protecting areas where Turkey is developing military facilities in Middle Shabelle. He has also been linked by the reports to military operations in South West State that resulted in the removal of the administration led by Abdiaziz Laftagareen earlier this year.

The reports further alleged that the medal recognized his role in those operations, although neither the Turkish nor the Somali governments has publicly confirmed the reason for the award.

Turkey has become one of Somalia's closest security partners, providing military training, equipment, and support to Somali forces for more than a decade. The Gorgor commandos are among the elite units trained and equipped with Turkish assistance and have been deployed in operations against Al-Shabaab and other security missions across the country.

Neither the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu nor Somalia's Ministry of Defense immediately commented on the reports, and the claims regarding the award process and the reasons behind the decoration could not be independently verified.

GAROWE ONLINE