ISTANBUL (SD) – At least 49 female police officers have completed the advanced training in Turkey ahead of the parliamentary and presidential elections.

Officiating graduation of female elite forces in Turkey, Somali police chief Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijar lauded the government of Turkey for their role to help Somalia build its armed forces.

“We have today wrapped training in Turkey for the first batch of girls from the Special Police Force (Haramcad), who have undergone advanced training in this country Turkiga is a great friend who helps us rebuild and upgrade Somali police,” Hijar said.

The police boss said the group drawn from the Harama’ad police unit was the last group of to have completed the advanced training.

“This training is part of a special operations training. This batch of female officers is the last to complete this training,” said Hijar.

Turkey has been a reliable partner in rebuilding Somalia across all sectors and has been a crucial strategic partner in training and equipping Somali troops, particularly the Gorgor Commando Brigade of the national army and the Haramcad (Cheetah) Special Police Unit.

Turkey’s biggest overseas military training base, which was inaugurated in 2017, is located in Somalia and is also among the largest foreign-run military centers in the country.

Somalia plunged into chaos after the 1991 overthrow of President Siad Barre’s military regime, leading to years of clan warfare followed by the rise of the al-Shabab terrorist group, which once controlled large parts of the country and the capital.