Ankara, 10 August 2024 (TDI): The foreign ministers of Somalia and Ethiopia will meet in Ankara next week to discuss disagreements over a port agreement Addis Ababa signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland in January, Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
Turkiye is now mediating negotiations between the east African countries, whose relations became strained in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease twenty kilometers of coastline from Somaliland, in exchange for recognition of its independence.
Mogadishu called the deal illegal and retaliated by expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and threatening to kick out thousands of Ethiopian forces stationed in the country helping battle insurgents.
Somali and Ethiopian foreign ministers held a meeting in Ankara last month along with Fidan to discuss their disagreements, and agreed to hold another round of discussions.
At a news conference in Istanbul, Fidan said a second round of negotiations between Somalia and Ethiopia will take place in Ankara next week.
Also Read More: President of Somalia, Turkey discuss regional issues
Fidan’s announcement came a week after he visited Addis Ababa and called on Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
We discussed these matters with Prime Minister Abiy in detail, Fidan said.
He added that tensions between the two countries would come to an end with Ethiopia’s access to the seas through Somalia as long as Ethiopia’s recognition of Somalia’s territorial integrity and political sovereignty is secured.”
Turkiye-Somalia Relations
Ankara has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years.
It has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somali students to study in Turkiye.
In 2017, Turkiye established its biggest overseas military base in Mogadishu.
Earlier this year, Turkiye and Somalia inked a defense and economic cooperation deal.
Turkiye will also send navy support to Somali waters after the two nations agreed Ankara will send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia to prospect for oil and gas.
