Türkiye and Somalia have highlighted the deepening of their strategic partnership, with officials from both countries pointing to expanding cooperation in development, defence, health, maritime affairs and strategic communications.
The Directorate of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye organised a panel in Mogadishu on Thursday titled “A New Era in Türkiye-Somalia Relations: Trust, Cooperation, and Strategic Partnership”, bringing together officials and experts .
Opening the event, Federal Parliament of Somalia Speaker Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said the relationship had evolved from humanitarian assistance into a broad partnership covering diplomacy, trade, development and defence.
He described Türkiye as a “brother” to Somalia and said bilateral ties had remained resilient through changes in Somalia’s political leadership.
Somalia’s Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamud said the partnership had entered a new dimension, with cooperation extending from infrastructure and healthcare to the maritime sector.
He also highlighted the importance of Somalia’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, describing them as a foundation of the relationship.
Focus on disinformation
The panel also placed significant emphasis on combating disinformation, which speakers said could undermine public trust and strain relations between countries.
Deniz Demir, coordinator of Türkiye’s Center for Combating Disinformation, said misinformation and disinformation can affect interstate relations, public security and social cohesion.
He called for closer cooperation between Türkiye and Somalia on rapid information-sharing mechanisms, social media monitoring and cybersecurity.
Somali officials and experts also discussed the need for effective strategic communication to help the public better understand the scope of bilateral cooperation.
From humanitarian aid to capacity building
Speakers traced the modern phase of Türkiye-Somalia relations to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 2011 visit to Somalia, which marked a major turning point in bilateral ties.
Since then, Türkiye has expanded its engagement beyond humanitarian assistance into education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic cooperation.
Speakers highlighted institutions including the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Türkiye Maarif Foundation and Turkish Red Crescent, as well as Türkiye’s training and support for Somali security personnel.
Honorary Consul of Somalia in Afyonkarahisar Onur Çelik said Türkiye’s approach was focused not on protecting Somalia indefinitely, but on helping the country develop the capacity to protect itself.
As Türkiye and Somalia look to deepen their partnership, officials at the Mogadishu panel stressed that trust, respect for Somalia’s sovereignty and long-term capacity building will remain central to the relationship.
