# Türkiye

> The Somali community in Türkiye is led by students. Since Türkiye's first large award of 300 scholarships in 2012, thousands of Somalis have studied there…

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/diaspora/turkiye/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who lives there

Most Somalis in Türkiye are students or recent graduates, mainly in Ankara and Istanbul. No count of the whole community was found.

- **Graduates:** 2,126 Somali students graduated from Turkish universities from 2013 to 2023, 11.4% of all African graduates. More than 300 graduated in Ankara alone in 2025–26 ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/more-than-300-somali-students-graduate-from-ankara-universities-in-202526)).
- **Students:** in 2022 a Somali official estimated almost 5,000 Somali students were studying in Türkiye, and more than 9,000 had gone there on full scholarships, partial scholarships or their own money ([Anadolu Agency, 2022](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/education/somali-graduates-of-turkish-scholarship-program-give-back-to-their-country/2499620)).

## How it began

In October 2012 Türkiye gave scholarships to 300 Somali students: 140 for first degrees, 150 for master's degrees and 10 for doctorates ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/more-than-300-somali-students-graduate-from-ankara-universities-in-202526)). Thousands more have followed through the Türkiye Scholarships programme ([Daily Sabah](https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/education/turkiye-scholarships-see-widespread-popularity-in-somalia)).

## Work and money

Most are students on scholarships or paying their own way. Some graduates go home to work; others look for work in Türkiye. Anadolu Agency reports graduates going home to put their training to work for Somalia ([Anadolu Agency](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/education/somali-graduates-of-turkish-scholarship-program-give-back-to-their-country/2499620)).

## Who serves the community

The Turkish state and its scholarship body, YTB. Somalia's embassy in Ankara has an education attaché. Embassy officials and a Somali MP attended the July 2025 graduation in Ankara ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/more-than-300-somali-students-graduate-from-ankara-universities-in-202526)).

## What the community faces now

Hundreds of graduates each year hold Turkish degrees but have no clear path to a job at home.

## Top needs

1. Paid work at home for graduates.
2. A way to use their skills, in engineering, medicine, law and public administration, in real work at home.
3. A record of who has which skills.
4. A voice in Somalia's future.
5. Support for the few who are not students, such as workers and asylum seekers.

## What we don't know yet

The size of the whole community, jobs after graduation, and Istanbul numbers. If you know, use "Fix this page".

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