MOGADISHU — Somali opposition figures held a closed-door meeting with Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia at the residence of former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in Mogadishu, sources familiar with the discussions said.
The meeting, described as sensitive, focused largely on calls for Turkey to refrain from involvement in Somalia’s internal political tensions, according to sources close to opposition members.
Participants engaged in what were characterized as “intense discussions,” presenting concerns over the role of international partners amid a deepening political standoff in the Horn of Africa nation.
The talks come as opposition groups have in recent days convened a series of meetings in the capital aimed at coordinating their stance against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose constitutional term they say is due to expire on May 15.
The federal government has dismissed those claims, introducing constitutional changes that would allow for a one-year extension of its mandate — a move strongly rejected by opposition leaders, who accuse authorities of undermining democratic processes.
Turkey, a key ally of Somalia with significant investments in security, infrastructure and humanitarian aid, has not publicly commented on the meeting.
