Turkey to Send Delegation to Somalia to Help Resolve Election Dispute: Sources
The move comes as Turkish officials step up diplomatic outreach, with tensions rising over the country’s electoral framework and proposed constitutional changes, the sources said.
Turkey to Dispatch Delegation to Somalia Amid Election Row: Sources
MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 23 — Türkiye is set to send a senior delegation to Mogadishu after the Eid holidays in an effort to help chart a path through Somalia’s widening electoral dispute between federal leaders, according to sources familiar with the matter.
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The move comes as Turkish officials step up diplomatic outreach, with tensions rising over the country’s electoral framework and proposed constitutional changes, the sources said.
People with knowledge of the discussions said officials from Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its intelligence agencies have recently met with opposition figures and their representatives, in a bid to make clear that Ankara is not backing only President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration and is instead looking to support a broader political settlement.
Observers view the renewed Turkish push as evidence that Ankara is increasingly uneasy about Somalia’s deepening political polarization and is keen to avoid any impression that it has taken sides in the dispute.
In recent months, Türkiye has drawn criticism from Somali political figures who accuse it of meddling in domestic affairs. Among those raising concerns is Abdulaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, who has challenged Ankara’s role in Somali politics and linked it to disputes surrounding leadership transitions in South West state.
Meanwhile, the Somali federal government and opposition groups remain at odds over planned constitutional amendments and the shape of future elections, despite repeated appeals for dialogue.
AXADLETM
