24 Somali soldiers injured in Türkiye following brawl on football pitch

A soccer match between Somali soldiers receiving military training in western Türkiye escalated into a violent confrontation that left 24 Somali troops injured, local officials said Tuesday.

The incident occurred at the General Ihsan Alper Military Base in Isparta, where Türkiye’s forces provide training to Somali military personnel as part of ongoing security cooperation between the two nations.

According to a statement from the Isparta Governor’s office, the altercation broke out during a soccer match among the Somali trainees. “Following initial assessments, 24 Somali soldiers were injured in the fight,” the statement said. “The injured have been taken to hospitals in our province for treatment, and except for one, all are in good condition.”

Isparta Governor visits wounded Somali soldiers post football brawl

Isparta Governor Abdullah Erin visited the wounded soldiers at Suleyman Demirel University Research and Application Hospital later in the day.

“Our soldiers intervened in the fight quickly and brought it under control,” Governor Erin told reporters during his hospital visit. “Both Somali citizens and some of our soldiers sustained injuries that could be treated with minor medical intervention.”

The governor noted that two of the Somali soldiers were in critical condition. “Necessary interventions are being carried out for them as well. We hope they will recover after these interventions,” he said.

Security forces were rapidly dispatched to the scene, and ambulances transferred the injured to both Isparta City Hospital and Suleyman Demirel University Research and Application Hospital. Most received outpatient treatment and were discharged, according to the governor.

“The situation at the base is currently under control, with no ongoing issues,” the governor’s office statement added. Authorities have launched both administrative and judicial investigations into the incident.

The military base in Isparta is one of several facilities where Türkiye’s armed forces train foreign military personnel, including troops from Somalia, as part of Türkiye’s defense cooperation agreements with allied nations.