A brawl that ensued after a football match at a Somali military training facility in southwestern Turkey left 24 Somali soldiers injured, with two in critical condition.
The incident took place on Monday evening at the training barracks in Isparta province.
According to Abdullah Erin, the governor of Isparta, several Turkish troops were also injured while attempting to break up the fight.
Erin visited the wounded soldiers at a local hospital, confirming that two Somali soldiers were in critical condition following the altercation.
Turkey, a NATO member, has strong ties with Somalia, being its primary economic partner in sectors such as construction, education, healthcare, and military cooperation.
The country is also home to Turkey’s largest overseas military base and training facility, where over 5,000 Somali security personnel have been trained.
Somali troops frequently receive training in Turkey as part of the ongoing collaboration between the two nations.
