Somalia’s president pays official visit to Turkey to meet Erdoğan

SOMALIAN President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Turkey yesterday on an official visit that will last until tomorrow.

Bilateral relations and steps to enhance cooperation will be discussed in-depth during the visit, which comes at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to a Turkish Presidency statement.

“The two leaders are also expected to exchange views on regional and international developments,” the statement said.

This is Mohamud’s first official visit to Turkey at the presidential level after taking office in May. He also served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017.

Bilateral relations between Turkey and Somalia will gain momentum following the elections in the African country, Turkey’s Ambassador

to Mogadishu Mehmet Yılmaz said recently.

Noting that Turkey’s efforts after the drought in 2011 started to reverse the negative view toward Somalia abroad, Ambassador Yılmaz stated that the efforts in the fields of security, health and education began to produce positive results.

Somalia’s new president Mohamud, who spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) in his first-ever international interview, also said in May that Turkey has touched the hearts and minds of Somali people due to its tangible and visible impact in Somalia.

“As I said, the Turkish people and the government of Turkey have a lot of impact on Somali people. The support of Turkey has touched the hearts and minds of Somali people and this support was very visible and tangible and saved many many lives throughout Somalia,” the new president said.

A statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that it was pleasing to see that the presidential elections in Somalia have been completed successfully.

“We congratulate H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and wish him success during his tenure,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“We attach great importance to the peace and stability of Somalia, with which we have deep-rooted historical ties, and hope that the results of the elections will be auspicious for the friendly and brotherly people of Somalia,” it added.

“Turkey will continue to stand by the people of Somalia and to support the Federal Government of Somalia to establish security, stability and prosperity in the country in this new period,” it said.