Somalia, Turkey discuss cooperation, counterterrorism

May 2, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the head of the Turkish Intelligence Agency, Ibrahim Kalin, have agreed in Mogadishu to explore avenues for strengthening strategic ties between their nations.

  • Somalia, Turkey discuss cooperation and counterterrorism
    President Hassan Mohamud receives Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), at Villa Somalia Presidential Palace, Mogadishu. (X)

The Somali Presidency announced that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the head of the Turkish Intelligence Agency, Ibrahim Kalin, discussed ways to enhance strategic cooperation between the two nations during a meeting in Mogadishu on Tuesday.

The Presidency detailed that the discussions between the Somali President and the head of the Turkish Intelligence Agency focused on bolstering strategic collaboration in critical domains of mutual concern. These areas include security, intelligence sharing, joint counterterrorism initiatives, and the promotion of regional stability.

It is worth noting that Somalia inked a cooperation agreement with Turkey in the field of oil and natural gas last March.

In February, Ankara signed a defense and economic cooperation agreement with the authorities in Mogadishu, in addition to providing maritime security support to assist the African state in “defending its waters and regional interests.”

Furthermore, Turkey has invested in other areas, including education, infrastructure, and health.

Even though the Somalian-Turkish relationship goes back in time, it seems that there are more efforts toward strengthening the relationships between the two and ensuring the Turkish presence on Somalian land.

The above-mentioned agreement comes in light of the ongoing territorial conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia over the Barbara port in the Red Sea.