This agreement was signed by the defense ministers of the two countries on February 8. The details of the text were given on Wednesday February 21 by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, during an address on national television.
The two countries are committed for ten years. During this period, the Turkish navy will protect the coasts of Somalia. It will train and equip its navy. In exchange, Turkey is offered access to the resources of the Somali maritime economic zone.
This agreement comes a few weeks after Ethiopia and Somaliland themselves signed a treaty… offering Addis Ababa access to the sea, in exchange for its recognition. An agreement which provoked rage in Mogadishu and an outcry from the Arab-Muslim world.
In his address Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud assures that his agreement with Turkey is not aimed at provoking Ethiopia. The fact remains that Mogadishu is linking up with a partner of choice, the second military power in NATO. “It will take time before the effect is felt on the Somali navy,” explains Jason Mosley, researcher at the Rift Valley Institute, “but this partnership has symbolic force. »
Maritime collaboration between Turkey and Somalia goes back a long way. The Turkish navy has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden for fourteen years. Turkom, the largest Turkish military base abroad, is also located in Mogadishu.
