Ankara, Turkey – In a significant diplomatic engagement underscoring the enduring bond between Somalia and Turkey, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on July 12, 2025. The high-level bilateral meeting focused on deepening cooperation in areas critical to Somalia’s recovery and development, including security, economic growth, education, health, and post-conflict reconstruction.
The two leaders held comprehensive discussions on expanding the strategic partnership between Somalia and Turkey. According to an official communiqué from the Somali Presidency, both heads of state emphasized enhancing collaboration in peacebuilding, trade, infrastructure, and capacity-building sectors.
President Hassan Sheikh expressed his profound gratitude to the Turkish government and people for their unwavering support over the past decade, describing Turkey as a “trusted ally” that has stood by Somalia in times of hardship.
“Turkey has always supported Somalia with both moral and material assistance,” the President stated. “It is a crucial partner in our nation-building, development, and peace processes.”
President Erdoğan, in turn, reaffirmed Turkey’s long-standing commitment to Somalia, pledging to sustain and expand Turkish investments and humanitarian initiatives in the country. He highlighted the “brotherly” relationship between the two nations and the importance of maintaining strategic dialogue.
This meeting comes at a critical juncture as Somalia continues to rebuild from decades of conflict and strives for greater political stability and economic self-reliance. The support of international allies like Turkey plays a pivotal role in Somalia’s path to recovery. Turkey has been a leading foreign partner for Somalia since 2011, when then-Prime Minister Erdoğan made a historic visit to Mogadishu during a devastating famine — a visit that marked the beginning of a robust diplomatic and development relationship.
Over the years, Turkey has established key infrastructure in Somalia, including hospitals, roads, and the Turkish-run Digfer Hospital in Mogadishu, now known as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hospital. It has also invested in Somalia’s military through training and equipping the Somali National Army and operates one of its largest overseas military bases in the country.
This long-term engagement has elevated Turkey as one of Somalia’s most influential international allies, especially in the context of shifting regional dynamics and geopolitical competition in the Horn of Africa.
The meeting took place on July 12, 2025, at Beştepe Presidential Palace in Ankara, during President Hassan Sheikh’s official visit to Turkey. The visit is part of a broader diplomatic effort to strengthen Somalia’s foreign relations and secure continued international support for its state-building agenda.
The main figures in the meeting were:
- President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud – President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – President of the Republic of Turkey
The meeting was attended by senior officials from both countries, including members of the Somali cabinet and Turkish ministers overseeing foreign affairs, defense, and development cooperation.
This meeting marks another milestone in a decade-long partnership that has evolved from humanitarian aid into a multidimensional strategic alliance. Turkey’s engagement in Somalia is often viewed as a model for its broader Africapolicy — combining humanitarian assistance, economic investment, cultural diplomacy, and military cooperation.
Under President Erdoğan’s leadership, Turkey has become one of the most active non-Western actors in Africa, with Somalia often cited as the flagship case. The collaboration includes:
- Scholarships for Somali students in Turkish universities
- Support for Somali military training and equipment
- Direct investment in construction and port management
- Development of healthcare and education infrastructure
As Somalia prepares for future elections and works to consolidate its federal institutions, the support of allies like Turkey remains vital in ensuring continuity, stability, and economic progress.
Turkey’s involvement in Somalia gained prominence after Erdoğan’s 2011 visit — the first by a non-African head of state in two decades — during a catastrophic famine. That visit marked a paradigm shift in how Somalia engaged with external partners. Since then, Turkey has maintained an embassy in Mogadishu, provided emergency relief, and gradually scaled up its presence through investment and strategic collaboration.
In 2017, Turkey opened its largest overseas military training base in Mogadishu. Thousands of Somali troops have since been trained there, contributing to the country’s ongoing battle against terrorism and insecurity.
