TURKEY –SOMALIA RELATIONS A HISTORIC FETE

MOGADISHU 23-1-15–The relations between Somalia and Turkey predate the current history of the two countries running close to ten centuries when the Ottoman Empire straddled the Asian continent to the Horn of Africa and northern African countries of Morocco and Egypt.
After the decline of the Ottoman Empire, relations between Somalia and Turkey did not cut off and Turkey has played a very important role in the reconstruction of Somalia as it emerges from over two decades of civil war and instability.

Turkey originally maintained an embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, until the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991when it subsequently discontinued operations for security reasons.

Over the ensuing interim period, the Turkish authorities continued relations with Somalia’s newly established Transitional National Government and its successor the Transitional Federal Government through their non-resident diplomatic mission in Addis Ababa.

The following are some of the historical and critical moments which have defined and shaped diplomatic and bilateral relations between the two countries:

March 14, 2003: Recep Tayyip Erdogan becomes prime minister of Turkey after winning a by-election in the province of Siirt.

May 2010: Somali and Turkish governments sign a military training agreement, in keeping with the provisions outlined in the Djibouti Peace Process. Enforcement of the pact officially begins in November 2012. Outlining training, technical and scientific cooperation, the treaty includes joint-service exercises between both national militaries. Also included is training by the Turkish Military Medical Academy and Mapping General Command, between the gendarmerie and coast guard, as well as in-field training and education at national military installations and institutions.

Mid-2011: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his entourage visit Somalia when the country was badly ravaged by hunger and famine and pays visit to displaced people at IDP camps in Mogadishu. Turkey contributes over $201 million to the humanitarian relief efforts in the affected parts of Somalia.

November 2011: Turkish government becomes the first foreign administrations to resume formal diplomatic relations with Somalia after the civil war. Turkey re-opens its foreign embassy in Mogadishu with the intention of more effectively assisting in the post-conflict development process.

March 2012: Turkish Airlines pioneers long-distance international commercial airline after two decades to and from Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport.