PM Barre Calls for Deeper Economic Partnership with Turkey

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has called for a deeper and more economically focused partnership between Somalia and Turkey, saying the next 15 years of bilateral relations should deliver greater trade, investment and shared prosperity.

Speaking at an event marking 15 years of Somalia-Turkey relations, PM Barre said the two countries had built a strong strategic partnership since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Mogadishu in 2011, when Somalia was facing drought, famine and insecurity.

The prime minister said Turkey’s support had since expanded beyond humanitarian assistance to include security, education, healthcare, infrastructure and institution-building.

But he said Somalia now wanted to move the relationship into a new phase focused more strongly on economic opportunities.

PM Barre identified energy, fisheries, ports, agriculture, manufacturing and the blue economy as key areas for greater Turkish investment and cooperation.

He also called for stronger links between Somali and Turkish businesses, universities and researchers, saying the partnership should become broader and more productive for both countries.

The prime minister pointed to Somalia’s progress since 2011, including debt relief, entry into the East African Community and the lifting of the arms embargo, as signs of a country that has moved beyond the circumstances it faced when the partnership began.

PM Barre thanked Turkey for standing with Somalia during difficult periods and for continuing to support the country’s recovery and development.

The anniversary marks 15 years since Erdogan’s landmark visit to Mogadishu on Aug. 19, 2011, which came during a devastating drought and famine and became a defining moment in modern Somalia-Turkey relations.

“May Allah preserve the friendship between Somalia and Turkey,” Hamza said.