Baidoa District Administration Stages Pro-Turkey Rally After Reported Flag Burning

The Baidoa district administration organized a rally at Dr Ayuub Stadium on September 15, 2026, drawing South West State officials and residents in a show of support for Turkey after reports that the Turkish flag was burned in villages near the city amid the wider wave of anti-Ankara protests over the disputed September 3-4 Doolow strike. Southwest State Security Minister Ishaq Mohamed Korsar told the crowd 'Turkey's support cannot be hidden, and we thank them for it,' and officials accused those responsible for the flag burning of aligning with Al-Shabaab. The rally underscores the split within Somalia's federal member states over the Doolow fallout: Southwest State's administration, aligned with Mogadishu, staged a public rebuttal even as Jubaland and Puntland saw sustained flag-burning protests over the same incident.