Ethiopia asks Türkiye for diplomatic backing in push for sea access as Erdogan visits Addis Ababa
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Tuesday he asked Türkiye for diplomatic support in Addis Ababa’s effort to secure access to the sea, making the issue a central focus of talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a rare high-level visit to the Ethiopian capital.
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At a joint news conference, Abiy said he discussed Ethiopia’s “quest for sea access” with Erdogan and welcomed what he described as strong and constructive discussions. Ethiopia has been landlocked since Eritrea’s independence in 1993 and has repeatedly framed reliable maritime access as a strategic priority for its long-term security and economic growth.
Erdogan’s trip — which included Türkiye’s foreign and defense ministers — marked a notable show of engagement as the two countries moved to deepen economic and political ties on the centennial of relations that began in 1926. Both governments cast the visit as a reset and an expansion, with the agenda anchored in trade, investment and coordination on regional issues in the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian officials said the two sides want to lift bilateral trade to at least $1 billion. Abiy encouraged greater investment by Turkish companies, pointing to Ethiopia’s manufacturing and construction sectors, where Türkiye already has one of the largest concentrations of its firms in sub-Saharan Africa. Business links have been a stabilizing pillar in the relationship even through periods of regional volatility.
The leaders also discussed cooperation in international forums, including climate negotiations linked to COP31. According to Ethiopian officials, the conference will be held in Türkiye next year, then in Ethiopia, underscoring a shared interest in climate diplomacy alongside trade and security.
Ankara has steadily increased its diplomatic footprint in the Horn of Africa in recent years, positioning itself as a partner for trade, development and mediation in regional disputes. Abiy described this week’s meetings as “successful and fruitful,” and said Türkiye recognizes Ethiopia’s strategic importance — language that suggests Addis Ababa sees Ankara as a potential amplifier for its maritime agenda.
Abiy did not detail what form Turkish diplomatic support might take, and neither side announced a specific mechanism tied to sea access. Still, the prominence of the topic in Tuesday’s discussions signals that Ethiopia intends to keep the question of maritime access on the table with major partners as it pursues broader economic and security objectives.
- Abiy Ahmed said he asked Türkiye for diplomatic support for Ethiopia’s push to secure sea access.
- Talks in Addis Ababa with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan centered on maritime access, trade and investment.
- Both sides aim to increase bilateral trade to at least $1 billion.
- Türkiye remains one of the largest sources of foreign investment in Ethiopia’s manufacturing and construction sectors.
- The leaders discussed coordination on climate diplomacy linked to COP31, slated for Türkiye next year and then Ethiopia.
- Türkiye has stepped up its role in the Horn of Africa, seeking to be a key partner in trade, development and mediation.
The emphasis on sea access dovetailed with a broader message from both governments: tightening commercial ties and coordinating policies as the geopolitical map of the Horn evolves. With the centennial of Ethiopia–Türkiye relations as a backdrop, the visit signaled intent to translate longstanding diplomatic goodwill into concrete economic targets and coordinated positions in global forums.
No timelines or agreements on maritime access were disclosed, but the inclusion of top Turkish ministers in the delegation and the explicit appeal for diplomatic support place the issue more squarely within bilateral channels. The coming months will test how Addis Ababa and Ankara convert Tuesday’s assurances into actionable steps on trade, investment and multilateral cooperation — and whether Ethiopia’s campaign for reliable sea access gains new traction with Turkish backing.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
