MOGADISHU – Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has hailed the security agreement with Türkiye as a cornerstone of the strong cooperation between the two states.
Speaking at a press conference in Villa Somalia on Wednesday following the Federal Parliament’s ratification of the Somalia-Türkiye Maritime Security and Economy, President Mohamud said the 10-year agreement will help develop the Somali Navy’s capacity to enhance maritime security, protect resources, and combat international terrorism, external threats, and illegal and unregulated activities in Somalia’s territorial waters.
President Mohamud said Türkiye is already helping Somalia with humanitarian assistance, budgetary support and the training of security forces.
“We asked for the support not to fight Ethiopia or invade another country,” he said. “It’s to support us in defending our country. That is the origin of the agreement we have entered with Turkey.”
The two Houses of Somalia’s Parliament voted to endorse the deal in a 213-3 vote after the Cabinet approved the defence deal in which Türkiye, one of the closest Somalia allies and development partners, will build, train and equip the Somali navy.
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said the agreement will help to remove “any fears of terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing, toxic dumping and any external violations or threats” to Somalia’s sea coast. Somalia has Africa’s longest coastline.
The new agreement comes amid increasing tension between Somalia and Ethiopia, sparked by the signing of an MOU, between Ethiopia and Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland region.
Under the MOU, Somaliland would lease to landlocked Ethiopia about 20km of coastline along the Gulf of Aden, allowing access to the Red Sea, and in exchange, Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent country and give a stake in either Ethio Telecom or Ethiopian Airlines
Somalia’s federal government, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, has termed the deal as a violation of sovereignty and an attempt to annext Somaliland.
A Somali official told VOA Somali on the condition of anonymity that the agreement includes deployment of Turkish warships in Somalia’s waters as well as “tapping marine resources for Somalia.”
The agreement was signed in Turkey on February 8 by Somalia Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur and Turkey Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler.
