Joint Meeting of the Presidents of Turkey and Somalia in Istanbul
The meeting of the Turkish and Somali delegations was held in Istanbul under the chairmanship of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Erdoğan welcomed the Somali President with an official ceremony at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office. Following this ceremony, the bilateral meeting between the two leaders began, and afterwards the delegations’ meeting was convened.
During the delegations’ meeting, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was accompanied by senior Turkish officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, President of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, Senior Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, President of the Presidency of Defense Industries Haluk Görgün, and Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson of the Justice and Development Party Ömer Çelik.
After the delegations’ meeting, a joint press conference was held by the Presidents of Turkey and Somalia. In this conference, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as illegal and unacceptable. He also announced that drilling operations would begin in 2026, noting that these activities would make a significant contribution to the welfare of the Somali people. Erdoğan added that Turkey had added two new deep-sea drilling vessels to its fleet and, within the framework of signed agreements, intends to establish a space base in Somalia.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud emphasized during the press conference that at a time when Somalia is facing threats against its territorial integrity and sovereignty, they have felt the support of Turkey and the Turkish people. He also stated that the stance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Somalia’s territorial integrity is unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the two countries also met in Istanbul. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with Somali Foreign Minister Abdussalam Abdi Ali. According to a statement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the social media platform X, this meeting took place in Istanbul.
