Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Meets Turkish Ambassador as Mandate Expires, Talks Collapse

MOGADISHU, May 16 – Somalia’s political crisis deepened on Saturday as term-ended President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Turkey’s ambassador just hours after talks collapsed over the question of his expired mandate, a move viewed by some as an effort to show he still commands international support.

The meeting at the Villa Somalia presidential palace with Ambassador Alper Aktaş followed a failed attempt by opposition leaders and regional states to reach common ground at the UN-protected Halane compound on Mohamud’s tenure, which officially ended on May 15.

Mohamud has said he plans to remain in office until May 2027 under disputed constitutional amendments, a position opposition factions have dismissed as an unlawful extension of his term.

In a presidential statement, Mohamud thanked Ankara for its ongoing support in counter-terrorism and infrastructure, and the two sides discussed “strengthening strategic cooperation.”

Political analysts, however, said the administration is using such diplomatic engagements to send a message to domestic rivals and foreign donors that it remains recognized abroad and has not been left isolated.

For Puntland State, the semi-autonomous region, and opposition coalitions, which have now called for public protests in the capital, the meeting suggested the federal government is turning away from efforts to build a domestic consensus.

“Villa Somalia is signaling that the chapter on domestic dialogue at Halane is closed,” said an independent political analyst in Mogadishu, who asked not to be named. “They are looking outward to cement their contested legitimacy through external alliances.”

Turkey has for years played a central role in the Horn of Africa, offering military training, budget support and humanitarian assistance on a significant scale.

That close involvement has also made Ankara a target of criticism from Mohamud’s opponents. Critics have previously accused Turkey of meddling in local political disputes, citing earlier military tensions in the Southwest State capital of Baidoa, where media outlets aligned with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party openly praised Ankara’s strategic influence.

With negotiations in Mogadishu in tatters and opposition groups threatening mass rallies, the latest diplomatic signals point to an even sharper fracture in Somalia’s political order.

AXADLETM