Newsletters
Somalia's president and foreign minister both praised Türkiye's diplomatic mediation at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Saturday.
The Turkish Defense Ministry separately announced that the Somalia Turkish Naval Task Group was providing full protection to drilling ship Cagri Bey and three support vessels off the Somali coast, with Special Operations Command (SAT) personnel conducting direct protection duties on board.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressed Israel's recognition of Somaliland's unilateral independence declaration, expressing satisfaction with the international response.
"The entire world showed that it stands with Somalia and loudly stated that this will not happen despite Israel's demands. So many countries coming together to take such actions and say 'stop' is absolutely very important," he said.
He praised Türkiye's diplomatic role, noting that relations with Ethiopia had "been going well" since the signing of the 2024 Ankara Declaration following Türkiye's mediation, and commended President Erdogan's leadership in critical negotiations.
Somali Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation State Minister Ali Mohamed Omar offered a stark warning about the broader regional spillover of Israeli engagement.
"Wherever Israel is involved, we see other actors stepping in to oppose it. With the involvement of insurgent groups and Israel in the process, I think this region could become the scene of new conflicts," he said.
He went further: "It is sad but we may soon see new armed groups emerging in the south of the Arabian Peninsula."
He cited the colonial-era borders of African states as structural fault lines that make conflict management a permanent challenge, adding that Middle East developments, including the Iran war, directly affect the Horn of Africa due to geographic proximity and competing external powers.
He held up Türkiye's Ethiopia-Somalia mediation model as a regional and continental example, praising Ankara for choosing impartiality rather than siding with Somalia.
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Deputy Executive Secretary Mohamed Abdi Ware echoed this, saying: "Initially, there was an expectation that Türkiye would side with Somalia against Ethiopia. But Türkiye made a wise choice by becoming a neutral mediator, because it has good relations with both."
"This balance was critical, and Türkiye achieved it," he noted.
Yemeni Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaya al-Zindani said the government prioritizes dialogue but is prepared to use force against the Houthis if all political avenues are exhausted.
"If you want elections, we are ready. If you want to share power, we are ready. But we do not want any militia group carrying weapons," he said.
"Political solution is our first preference as a government. However, if no path to political solution remains, we will turn to the military option. And we must be prepared for that outcome," he added.
EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa Annette Weber told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) that the war's impact on Hormuz fuel prices would be "enormous" for Europe and said this was why Brussels had a strong interest in seeing the conflict resolved.
She noted that EU ships had been forced to route around the African continent, a cost that has multiplied sharply with fuel price increases.
"Maritime security is not just a matter of the sea, it is also about how you stabilize the land," she said, adding that the EU was working with Türkiye and other partners in Somalia and investing €2.6 billion ($3.06B) in the African Union's land security mission.
She said the EU had pledged €1.5 billion ($1.765B) in humanitarian aid to Sudan at a Berlin conference two days prior.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense (MoND) also announced that the Somalia Turkish Naval Task Group was providing escort and patrol support to drilling ship Cagri Bey alongside support vessels Korkut, Altan and Sancar.
SAT Special Operations Command personnel aboard Cagri Bey were conducting direct protection duties for the drilling operations, the ministry said.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
