All very noble and brotherly, but what does Turkey get out of it beyond swanning around as the big patron of a small country?
[ShabelleMedia] In a new step toward enhanced cooperation, Somalia’s Cabinet approved a defense and economic pact with Turkiye.The two countries already enjoy close ties and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said the pact was historic.
Ayub Ismail Yusuf, a member of Somalia’s Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, told Daily Sabah that the agreement was "a clear indication of the Somali government and people’s confidence in a better developmental future with
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
"In fact, this agreement builds on what’s already happening on the ground with greater multifaceted cooperation between our two sides and a common approach to addressing challenges and capitalizing on opportunities," he said.
The 10-year pact was signed by Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohammed Nur and Defense Minister Yasar Guler during the former’s visit to Turkiye earlier this month.
Barre was quoted by media outlets saying that Somalia thanked Turkiye and its people for their steady support for the government and the people of Somalia. In the signing ceremony in Turkiye, Guler reaffirmed that Somalia was an important partner of Turkiye in Africa.
The agreement includes training and equipment for the Somali Navy to help it protect the African country’s marine resources and threats such as terrorism and piracy. For Somalia, it will pave the way for more efficient use of its potential economy, from fishing to tourism and energy resources.
Turkiye plays an active role in Somalia, from education to finance, through its nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to companies.
Since President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...visited the country in 2011, Turkiye has built an 80,000-square-meter (861,112-square-foot) embassy in Mogadishu, its biggest embassy in Africa. Humanitarian organizations helped avert a famine in 2022 when Somalia witnessed one of the worst droughts in four decades. A pair of Ottoman Turkish and Somali companies are also building a biogas power plant in Mogadishu to be completed by the end of this year.
What defense pact with Turkey means for Somalia
[Garowe] A historical defense pact was approved by the Somali cabinet on Wednesday, paving the way for a possible revolution within the country's security system, which has been undergoing radical changes and reforms in the recent past.
Somalia largely depends on international partners for regulation of its security and economic progression, as the country hosts over 15,000 foreign security troops. The African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has been responsible for security protocols in the country.
But the defense pact signed by Somalia's minister for defense Abdulkadir Mohammed Nur and
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
early in February unlocks the country's security protocols including building, training, and equipping the Somali Navy.
For a long time, Turkey has invested in training elite GorGor land troops, who are critical in the fight against al-Shabaab
... the personification of Somali state failure...
. But the country is yet to build Naval forces, that would secure the 3,333 kilometers of coastline. The pact will now unleash this potential as a strategy measure to safeguard the country from sea threats.
The agreement also boosts maritime resources and the blue economy, officials said while reporting the progress with Turkey. In recent weeks, cases of piracy have exponentially risen in the busy coastline, necessitating the deployment of elite naval troops to the region.
Somalia PM Hamza Abdi Barre said the agreement removes "any fears of terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing, toxic dumping and any external violations or threats" to Somalia’s sea. The vices have troubled the country's territorial integrity and progress.
For instance, illegal fishing costs the country millions of dollars in revenues, with efforts to deal with Unregulated Fishing hitting a dead end. There have been deliberate efforts by the government to handle the debacle over decades.
Hamza Abdi Barre described Turkey as a "true and reliable brother." The European nation has immensely invested in Somalia’s security and development agenda, and at times faced backlash from al-Shabaab, who are determined to overthrow the fragile UN-backed federal government.
"When faced with danger, Somalia is not alone and not without a brother," Hamza Abdi Barre said, adding that Turkey's efforts to restore peace and order in the country 'cannot be taken for granted'.
The agreement was signed in Turkey on February 8. It comes amid increasing tension between Somalia and Æthiopia following last month’s signing of an MoU by Æthiopia and Somaliland
...Republic of Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as a de jure part of Somalia. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. The capital and largest city is Hargeisa. The government regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which united from 1960 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliadestroyed ninety percent of Hargeisa Per international law, once you're in, you gotta stay in, no matter how bad it smells...., which Somalia condemned as a violation of its illusory sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Last week, Somalia demanded that the African Union and United Nations
...the Oyster Bay money pit...
take formal stands over the impasse, adding that it will defend its territorial integrity and illusory sovereignty which is under 'attack' from Æthiopia.
Æthiopia has denounced the plot to 'annex' parts of Somalia, but Mogadishu maintains Addis Ababa has gone 'overboard' by engaging a regional state government. Æthiopia wants to establish a port and naval base within Somaliland, a region within Somalia.