ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday hosted Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, underlining the deep-seated strategic and military ties between the two nations.
The high-level meeting, held in Erdogan’s ornate waterside office, focused on deepening bilateral cooperation in defense, economic development, and regional security at a time of heightened tensions in the Horn of Africa.
“The leaders discussed the progress of the landmark defense and economic cooperation agreement signed earlier this year,” a source familiar with the talks said, referring to the pact that grants Turkey a significant role in maritime security and naval resource development along Somalia’s coastline.
Ankara has become one of Somalia’s most influential partners over the last decade, maintaining its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu and providing extensive training to the Somali “Gorgor” elite special forces.
The visit comes as Mogadishu seeks to bolster international support for its territorial integrity following a controversial maritime deal between landlocked Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland. Turkey has previously offered to mediate between Ethiopia and Somalia to prevent further regional destabilization.
According to a brief statement from the Turkish Presidency, the two leaders also reviewed ongoing infrastructure projects and humanitarian initiatives led by Turkish firms and NGOs in the Somali capital.
