Somalia Seeks Closer Turkey Cooperation to Counter Disinformation

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia has proposed closer cooperation with Turkey on strategic communication and countering disinformation, seeking to strengthen its growing partnership with Ankara against misleading and coordinated narratives.

Information Minister Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamud said Somali and Turkish institutions could work together on monitoring disinformation, sharing expertise and developing faster responses to emerging information threats.

He made the proposal at a high-level forum in Mogadishu on a new era in Somalia-Turkey relations, organised by the Communications Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey and opened by Somalia’s Speaker of Parliament, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur.

Mohamud said Somalia’s relationship with Turkey had evolved from Ankara’s early humanitarian engagement into a broad strategic partnership covering defence, infrastructure, energy, fisheries, ports, aviation, investment, education and health.

But he warned that the expansion of bilateral ties could also expose the relationship to disinformation campaigns aimed at creating mistrust between the two countries.

He said disinformation, manipulated narratives, coordinated perception campaigns and extremist propaganda were increasingly being used to influence public opinion, undermine confidence in institutions and distort Somalia’s image abroad.

The minister said Somalia needed to communicate more openly about its agreements and policies rather than waiting for false narratives to gain ground.

“Strategic communication is not only about responding to disinformation,” Mohamud said, arguing that governments should lead with facts, transparency and timely information.

PROPOSED COOPERATION

The proposed Somalia-Turkey cooperation would include professional exchanges, capacity building, joint analysis of disinformation trends, information monitoring and crisis communication.

It could also address extremist narratives and public diplomacy, with mechanisms for rapid coordination when major information threats affect either country.

Mohamud said Turkey had developed significant institutional experience in strategic communication and countering disinformation, while Somalia had gained practical experience communicating during security crises and confronting extremist propaganda.

He said Somalia’s Strategic Communication Department and Disinformation Office were ready to work with relevant Turkish institutions.

The proposal comes as Somalia works to build a more coordinated government communication system, including a national committee bringing together the presidency, prime minister’s office, ministries and security institutions.

The system is intended to strengthen monitoring of the information environment, identify harmful narratives earlier and speed up the distribution of verified information.

It also follows Somalia’s second National Strategic Communication Forum in Mogadishu, where government officials and media representatives discussed misinformation, artificial intelligence, social media and the future of government communication.

EXPANDING TIES

Turkey has become one of Somalia’s key international partners over the past decade, with its engagement expanding from humanitarian assistance into security, infrastructure, investment and other sectors.

The proposed cooperation on strategic communication would extend the relationship into the information sphere, at a time when both countries are seeking to deepen bilateral ties.

The issue is particularly significant for Somalia as social media and digital platforms have made it easier for misleading or manipulated narratives to spread rapidly.

Mohamud said closer cooperation with Turkish institutions would help Somalia strengthen its ability to identify such narratives, communicate directly with the public and provide timely, verified information about its partnership with Ankara.