MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s parliamentary speaker, Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur Jama, has called for stronger efforts to protect the country’s strategic partnership with Türkiye from misinformation and other threats to bilateral cooperation.
Jama made the remarks while attending the opening of a discussion forum on the multifaceted relationship between Somalia and Türkiye.
He said the relationship, which initially grew through humanitarian assistance, had rapidly expanded into development and trade and had now evolved into a strategic partnership covering diplomacy, the economy and defence.
The speaker said the two countries had faced various challenges and risks during the development of their bilateral ties, with each period presenting its own difficulties.
He described misleading information targeting the interests of Somalia and Türkiye as a major threat, saying it could undermine trust rooted in shared humanitarian and Islamic values as well as the long-standing historical ties between the two peoples.
Jama also highlighted the growing influence of social media, saying online platforms now have a greater impact than traditional media in many areas.
He called for social media to be given greater priority in the media strategies of both countries, particularly as Somalia and Türkiye seek to strengthen public understanding of their expanding partnership.
Jama said he remained confident that the two governments and their “brotherly” peoples could safeguard their shared interests and resist efforts by anyone seeking to undermine their cooperation.
Somalia and Türkiye have in recent years expanded their partnership across security, defence, infrastructure, development and economic cooperation.
