OpEd

Somalia’s relationship with Türkiye is often praised as a rare success story: a partnership built on roads, hospitals, military training and the rhetoric of solidarity. Turkish-backed projects are frequently cited as evidence that foreign assistance can deliver visible results in a country long battered by conflict. Yet beneath the applause, a harder question is emerging in Somalia: not whether Türkiye has helped, but whether the arrangement is transparent, sustainable and truly aligned with Somalia’s long-term national…

Somalia’s latest constitutional amendments are being hailed by some lawmakers as proof that the country has become a “fully fledged state.” The symbolism is powerful. Yet the celebration risks outrunning the substance. The reforms mark real progress, but they do not, on their own, settle the foundational questions of federalism, inclusion and authority that have defined Somalia’s decade-long constitutional journey. Since 2012, Somalia has operated under a provisional constitution designed to accommodate fragile…