The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has with immediate effect suspended all defence and military cooperation with Türkiye.
The announcement was made on Saturday, September 19, 2026, in a statement issued by Colonel Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs/UPDF.
According to the statement, the suspension will remain in force until outstanding issues concerning mutual defence and military cooperation between Uganda and Türkiye are resolved.
The UPDF, however, did not specify the nature of the outstanding issues or indicate which particular military cooperation programmes are affected by the suspension.
The decision comes amid recent tensions between Uganda and Türkiye. On Friday, September 18, members of the Patriotic League of Uganda demonstrated outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala, demanding the extradition of Ugandan activist and government critic Fred Lumbuye, who is based in Türkiye. However, the UPDF statement did not directly link the suspension to Lumbuye or the demonstration.
Uganda and Türkiye have maintained defence relations involving areas such as military training, defence-industry cooperation and military equipment. A 2016 Military Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding provided a framework for broader cooperation between the two countries.
The UPDF has not given a timeline for the resumption of cooperation, stating only that the suspension will remain in place until the outstanding issues are resolved.
