Turkey to mediate Ethiopia's conflict with Somalia

ANKARA - Turkey could mediate the current conflict between the federal government of Somalia and Ethiopia, which threatens stability and security in the Horn of Africa region, which has had its share of problems.

Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a controversial deal early this month, sparking protests and condemnation in the region. Several countries and entities have backed Somalia in the debacle, which comes at the time Somalia is confronting Al-Shabaab.

Once implemented, the deal will see Ethiopia getting 20 kilometers of the Red Sea in exchange for Somaliland's recognition as a sovereign state. Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi signed the deal with Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Mehmet Özkan, author and a foreign policy expert currently serving in the Joint War Institute and the National Defense University, doubted the deal would cause a major crisis as feared but pointed out Ankara could employ its good offices to smooth the tension thanks to well-established relations with all sides involved.

"Türkiye already has a Foreign Ministry envoy acting as a mediator in diplomatic negotiations between Somalia and Somaliland and doesn't want this process to be undermined at any rate," Özkan told Daily Sabah.

Ankara enjoys a close economic, diplomatic, and military friendship with Somalia and Ethiopia.

In Somalia, Turkish nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and companies are extensively active in education, energy, and finance. Since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the country in 2011, Türkiye has built an 80,000-square-meter (861,112-square-foot) embassy in Mogadishu, its biggest embassy in Africa.

Turkey and Egypt were among the first countries to disown the deal which called for respect for Somalia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Ankara reaffirmed its commitment to the country's territorial integrity, emphasizing it as a "requirement of international law."

"Türkiye naturally took Somalia's side because it's what international standards require," Özkan said. "But also because Somalia stood by Türkiye on many critical issues, including the aftermath of the 2016 coup attempt and the 2017 Gulf crisis between the UAE and Qatar."

Özkan believes Ankara's support of Mogadishu will not affect bilateral relations with Ethiopia or Türkiye's economic and political interests in eastern Africa. "Currently, Ankara has a clear, legitimate stance in line with international law and this won't change," he said.

GAROWE ONLINE