The defense ministers of Somalia and Turkey, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nu and Yasar Guler, in early February
Image: Getty
Turkey wants to support Somalia with coastal protection. This strengthens Ankara's military position in the Horn of Africa – and sends a signal to Ethiopia.
TTurkish ships are supposed to protect the coast of Somalia in the future. The governments of both countries recently agreed on this. With the agreement, Turkey is not only further expanding its military presence in the Horn of Africa. The agreement, which came as a surprise to many observers, could also be Somalia's response to a development that was equally unexpected from Mogadishu's perspective and that is seen as a political threat: the alliance between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland.
On January 1st, Somaliland agreed in an agreement to allow Ethiopia to use the port in Berbera, thereby giving the landlocked country access to the sea. In return, the government in Addis Ababa promised to recognize Somaliland. Somalia reacted indignantly – it does not accept the independence of the northwestern part of the country, which declared itself the Republic of Somaliland in 1991 and has been seeking international recognition ever since.
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