Ankara – Somalia and Turkey have begun implementing a labour and social affairs cooperation agreement signed in 2016, officials said after a signing ceremony held in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The event marked the activation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June 2016 between Somalia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and Turkey’s Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
The ceremony was jointly presided over by Turkey’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Professor Vedat Işıkhan, and Somalia’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Professor Salim Aliyoow Ibro. Somalia’s ambassador to Turkey, senior officials including Director General Yusuf Hassan, and members of both delegations were also in attendance.
Following the signing, the two sides held a technical meeting focusing on 15 priority areas to be implemented over the 2026–2027 period. These areas are intended to strengthen cooperation in employment, skills training, occupational safety and health (OSH), and the development of social services.
Both sides agreed to fast-track the implementation of the agreement’s provisions to reinforce Somalia’s labour institutions and deepen sustained cooperation with the Turkish government, officials said.
