Turkey Faces Questions Over Somalia Diplomatic Misstep  

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Turkey has been accused of undermining diplomatic protocols following a recent meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a senior Somalia official, in what the opposition terms as the 'breach of Somalia’s sovereignty'.

Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, Somalia’s senior opposition leader, accused Turkey of declining to meet Abdisalan Abdi Ali, Somalia’s Foreign Affairs minister, instead opting to have President Erdogan and Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan meet Ports and Air Transport Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur.

On his social media, Abdirahman said the meeting amounts to a breach of the country's sovereignty and diplomatic norms, a move that he insists should be addressed and corrected by both Ankara and Mogadishu.

Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, rumored to be a close ally or informal operative of Turkish interests within the Somali government, may be exerting undue influence over foreign affairs, he candidly said in the post.

“If there is no power to resist violations of our sovereignty and protocol, to avoid further embarrassment, perhaps he [Nur] should be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs,” the MP wrote.

But in a rejoinder, Nur, who did not deny the breach of diplomatic protocols, took to social media to insult the MP, calling him a “infertile chicken” — a comment that has since sparked further controversy and backlash.

Turkey is a key security and development partner of Somalia, but more often than not, it is accused of signing clandestine deals with the federal government of Somalia without the involvement of critical stakeholders. The pursuit of Somalia’s oil, particularly, is the thorn in the flesh.

The minister received his education in Turkey through a scholarship and graduated from a university there. He is considered a product of Turkey and is often described as Ankara’s man within the Somali government.

GAROWE ONLINE