SNA 66th Anniversary: Turkish F-16 Flyover Mogadishu; President Mohamud Warns Jubbaland and Puntland of Federal Military Reach

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressed the Somali National Army's 66th anniversary ceremony in Mogadishu on April 13, 2026, delivering pointed warnings to Jubbaland and Puntland that the SNA's reach was national and unconditional. He declared 'no part of the country lies beyond the reach of the national army,' explicitly warning that federal forces were 'prepared to carry out special operations anywhere in the country when directed by federal authorities.' The statement came just two days after the SNA's role in Southwest State — where federal troops seized Baidoa on March 30 — and is widely read as a warning to Puntland and Jubbaland, both of which have aligned with the opposition Council for the Future of Somalia. In a dramatic display of the deepening bilateral security relationship, Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets performed a flyover of Mogadishu during the ceremony. President Mohamud gave 'special thanks to Turkey' for sustained military support, specifically citing Turkey's role in fighting Al-Shabaab and rebuilding the SNA. Turkey's Camp Turksom military training facility — the largest Turkish overseas military base — trains approximately 1,500 SNA soldiers simultaneously, and Turkish F-16s operating from Mogadishu signal an elevated operational role. The ceremony coincided with the April 14 parliamentary mandate deadline, with the constitutional crisis serving as a backdrop to the military display.