Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has expressed his gratitude to Turkey for its support against Ethiopia’s involvement in a controversial port deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland.
In a phone call with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday, Mohamud thanked the Turkish people and government for standing by Somalia’s side and defending its independence and unity.
The two leaders also discussed the importance of peace and stability in the Horn of Africa, and praised Turkey’s role in the reconstruction and development of Somalia.
Somalia has rejected a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that Ethiopia and Somaliland signed on Monday, granting Ethiopia access to the Red Sea port of Berbera and a military base in exchange for recognition of Somaliland’s independence.
Somalia considers Somaliland as part of its territory and has appealed to the international community to oppose the deal, which it sees as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Turkey, which has been a close partner of Somalia since 2011, has expressed its support for Somalia’s position and has facilitated talks between the Federal Government of Somalia and Somaliland Administration since 2013.
Turkey has also been involved in various humanitarian and development projects in Somalia, such as running the Mogadishu International Airport and the Mogadishu Sea Port, providing scholarships to Somali students, and building the largest Turkish embassy complex in the world in Mogadishu.
