Mogadishu — Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underscored the importance of political dialogue, national unity and stability in Somalia during talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as debate over the country’s electoral process continues to intensify.
The two leaders met Thursday in Antalya, Türkiye, on the sidelines of the United Nations COP31 climate summit, where they discussed bilateral cooperation in defense and energy, as well as political and security developments in the region.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish presidency, Erdoğan reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with Somalia and expressed hope that the country’s ongoing national consultation process would succeed.
The Turkish leader stressed that peace and stability in Somalia remain highly important to his country, highlighting the need for national unity, political dialogue and social cohesion.
The president’s remarks came as tensions grow between the federal government and opposition groups over constitutional amendments, the terms of federal institutions and the national election schedule.
The government led by Hassan Sheikh insists that constitutional amendments extending the presidential and parliamentary terms to five years from four provide the legal basis for elections planned for 2027.
However, opposition groups, including the Somali Future Council, as well as the administrations of Puntland and Jubaland, have rejected the changes, arguing that they were approved without an inclusive political agreement.
The meeting between Erdoğan and Hassan Sheikh followed diplomatic efforts by Türkiye’s ambassador to Somalia, Ferhat Alkan, who held talks in Mogadishu with influential members of the country’s opposition.
Alkan held separate meetings with former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, as well as former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, discussing Somalia’s political situation and the need for dialogue to continue.
Statements issued by the Turkish embassy said the talks focused on the latest political developments, consultations among stakeholders and the deep ties between Türkiye and Somalia.
Somali media reported that the ambassador encouraged opposition leaders to attend the national consultation forum scheduled to take place in Mogadishu from Nov. 14–18.
However, the Turkish embassy did not officially confirm that Alkan had specifically asked opposition officials to attend the conference organized by the federal government.
President Hassan Sheikh had previously called on opposition groups, including the Somali Future Council and Nabad iyo Nolol, along with representatives of civil society, to attend the five-day forum to help resolve the deadlock surrounding the electoral process.
For their part, opposition leaders have called for an inclusive political agreement and the resumption of talks based on previous mediation efforts.
The Turkish government has previously played an active role in facilitating talks between Somalia’s federal government and opposition groups.
In July, TRT Afrika reported that Turkish intelligence officials had helped facilitate political talks between government and opposition representatives, acting on Erdoğan’s instructions.
Ankara maintains extensive ties with Mogadishu, particularly in military training, defense cooperation, maritime security and the development of energy resources.
Türkiye operates a major military training base in Mogadishu and has expanded its cooperation with Somalia in recent years through defense and maritime agreements.
At Thursday’s meeting, Erdoğan again reaffirmed his country’s firm commitment to strengthening cooperation with Somalia, particularly in defense and energy, while also encouraging political stability in the country.
However, the statement issued by the Turkish presidency contained no indication that Erdoğan had directly asked Hassan Sheikh to hold talks with the Somali Future Council or the other opposition groups named.
