The President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia is set to travel to Turkey today following an official invitation from his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to sources close to the Somali presidency.
During his visit, President Mohamud is expected to hold high-level discussions with President Erdoğan, although the specific agenda of their meeting has not yet been officially disclosed. Members of the Somali delegation accompanying the President are also scheduled to engage in bilateral side meetings with Turkish officials.
The talks between the Somali and Turkish Presidents are anticipated to cover various critical topics, including the review and reinforcement of existing agreements between Mogadishu and Ankara, the evolving geopolitical situation in the Horn of Africa, and other shared strategic interests.
Sources indicate that Turkey is keen on revitalizing mediation efforts aimed at resolving tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, following previous unsuccessful attempts due to unresolved differences between the two nations.
President Hassan Sheikh has previously declined opportunities to meet Abiyi Ahmed, rejecting regional leaders’ initiatives to bring the two leaders together.
The Somali president had firmly stated that he would not meet with Ethiopian officials unless Ethiopia reversed its agreement with Somaliland region which Somalia views as a violation of its sovereignty.
Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier announced a shift in its approach to the mediation process, proposing initial indirect talks facilitated by Ankara-based envoys before convening Somali and Ethiopian representatives for direct negotiations.
Updates to follow
