Somalia-Turkey relations enter new phase of strategic partnership, Prime Minister says

Wednesday August 19, 2026

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s relations with Turkey have entered a new phase focused on mutual interests and shared prosperity, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said Wednesday as the two countries marked 15 years of closer ties.

Speaking at an event in Mogadishu commemorating the anniversary, Barre said Turkey had supported Somalia through years of humanitarian, security and economic challenges, with cooperation expanding beyond humanitarian assistance into a broader strategic partnership.

“The relations between the two countries have moved from humanitarian cooperation to a strategic partnership that touches on many aspects,” Barre said.

He highlighted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 2011 visit to Mogadishu, when Somalia was facing severe drought, famine and insecurity, as a turning point in relations between the two countries.

“That visit carried a clear message that Somalia cannot be forgotten and the Somali people are not alone,” Barre said.

Since then, Turkey has provided support in humanitarian assistance, education, health, infrastructure, security, diplomacy, trade and investment, according to the prime minister.

Thousands of Somali students have also studied in Turkey through scholarship and education programs, with many later returning to Somalia to work in professional fields.

Barre said Somalia had changed significantly since Erdogan’s 2011 visit, pointing to developments in security, the economy and the country’s international diplomatic position.

“Somalia 2026 is not Somalia 2011. We have come a long way, we have come a long way,” he said.

He cited Somalia’s completion of the debt relief process, membership in the East African Community, the lifting of the U.N. arms embargo and election as a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council as milestones in the country’s recent progress.

The prime minister said Somalia now wants to move toward sustainable development and greater economic self-reliance, with future cooperation with Turkey centered on mutual benefit and shared prosperity.

Turkey has become one of Somalia’s most important partners since 2011, expanding its involvement from humanitarian assistance into infrastructure, education, health, trade and security.

The partnership has also included Turkish support for the development of Somalia’s security institutions and investment in strategic infrastructure, reflecting Ankara’s broader role in Somalia’s efforts to rebuild state institutions after decades of conflict.