MOGADISHU — Somali traditional elders, sultans, clan leaders, peace envoys and intellectuals have praised relations between Somalia and Turkey at a meeting in Mogadishu, highlighting Ankara’s support for the country over the past years.
Participants said Turkish assistance had reached several areas of Somali society, including humanitarian aid, healthcare, education, infrastructure development and social services.
The elders said Somalia had endured prolonged periods of hardship and that international support had played an important role in helping the country respond to its needs. They singled out Turkey as one of the countries that had responded visibly to Somalia’s humanitarian challenges, particularly during periods of severe drought and famine.
They said bilateral ties had expanded significantly after 2011, when then-Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Mogadishu during a devastating famine. Erdogan became the first non-African leader in nearly two decades to visit Somalia at the height of the humanitarian crisis.
The 2011 famine affected millions of Somalis, with the United Nations later estimating that between 258,000 and 260,000 people died during the 2010-2012 famine, about half of them children.
Turkey subsequently expanded its humanitarian assistance and development projects in Somalia, with its engagement extending into healthcare, education, infrastructure and other sectors.
“Somali society cannot forget the support shown by the government and people of Turkey during difficult times. That support touched the lives of Somali people and contributed to the rebuilding of the country,” some of the elders said during the meeting.
The participants also stressed that relations between Somalia and Turkey extended beyond formal government-to-government cooperation, pointing to longstanding social ties and interaction between the two peoples.
The meeting included calls for further strengthening bilateral relations, with the elders emphasizing cooperation based on mutual respect, shared interests and projects that provide tangible benefits to Somali communities.
Somalia and Turkey have in recent years expanded cooperation across several sectors, including security, healthcare, education, economic development, humanitarian assistance and infrastructure.
The Mogadishu meeting comes as cooperation between the two countries continues to extend beyond humanitarian assistance into broader strategic areas, with Turkey maintaining a significant role in Somalia’s development and security partnerships.
