Turkey is increasingly expanding its political, security and economic influence in Somalia, as formally discussed at a meeting of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz said that Turkey’s relations with Somalia are special, based on history, common interests and a long-term strategy based on security and trade.
The parliamentary committee meeting focused on a bilateral agreement signed in 2019 but now before Parliament for ratification, which stipulates that the two countries agree on land for their embassies.
Somalia has already given Turkey a 61,000m² plot of land that currently houses the Turkish embassy in Mogadishu, while Turkey is building a new Somali embassy in Ankara, covering an area of 4,918m².
Many lawmakers have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency about the project, the cost of construction, and who will be awarded the contract, but the Turkish Foreign Ministry has argued that the agreement is a mutual agreement and in the interests of both parties.
The parliamentary debate also touches on questions about the financial support provided to Somalia since 2011, with Refik Ali Onaner, the ministry’s Director General for African Affairs, saying that Turkey’s aid and support has exceeded $1 billion, including $3.5 million paid towards Somalia’s IMF loans.
Turkish media reported that much of the support went to companies particularly close to President Erdogan, prompting accusations that “official aid” had become a means of serving political interests.
However, Turkey remains Somalia’s largest foreign investor. In 2023, bilateral trade reached $426 million, but fell to $384 million in 2024. Turkish companies still control the management of the Mogadishu Port and Aden Adde Airport, with the 2013 agreement for the airport still controversial.
On security, a report by a UN panel of experts found that Turkey violated an arms embargo on Somalia by secretly delivering Bayraktar TB2 fighter jets to Mogadishu on December 6, 2021, without the approval of the UN Security Council.
MP Utku Çakırözer questioned why Turkey is investing in a new embassy in Somalia at a time when the country is facing economic difficulties. He also said that despite describing relations with Somalia as “special,” there has been no response from Somalia on key issues of concern to Turkey – such as the recognition of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
