He is not satisfied with being the leader who is actually leading the political reorganization in Syria. No. Recep Tayyip Erdogan aims to carve out the role of mediator also on the African continent. On Wednesday, the Turkish head of state received the Ethiopian prime minister separately in Ankara Abiy Ahmed and the Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. According to the Daily Sabahthe Turkish Foreign Minister also took part in the meetings, Hakan Fidanand the head of intelligence Ibrahim Kalin.
Although no details about the meeting were provided, it is no secret that relations between Ethiopia and Somalia have soured significantly in recent times. At the beginning of the year, Addis Ababa signed an agreement with Somaliland: on the basis of the agreement, the latter guarantees Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in exchange for possible diplomatic recognition. We remind you that, despite having proclaimed itself independent in 1991, Somaliland is considered by Somalia as part of its territory.
This is why, in recent months, tension between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu has significantly increased. A situation that raised fears of the explosion of a conflict. Not surprisingly, in October, Somalia, Eritrea and Egypt pledged to strengthen their security ties – a move that angered Ethiopia. In short, it is clear that Erdogan is aiming to reduce tension in the area. And be careful: his is not exactly a disinterested goal.
In 2021, Turkey signed a defense cooperation agreement with Addis Ababa. In particular, the Guardian reported that the sultan was likely supplying Ethiopia with Bayraktar TB2 drones. However, it was last February, when Ankara and Mogadishu signed a ten-year agreement to collaborate in the economic and defense sectors. “Under the 10-year pact, Turkey will help defend Somalia’s long coastline and rebuild the fragile Horn of Africa nation’s naval forces,” he reported at the time Deutsche Welle.
Obviously these agreements gave the sultan extensive influence over both Ethiopia and Somalia. Erdogan it therefore has no interest in an increase in tension in the area. Even more so since its grip on Somali territory guarantees it, especially through the city of Bosaso, a projection onto the Gulf of Aden. As he did with the Ukrainian crisis, the Turkish president aims to carve out the role of mediator to assume centrality from a geopolitical point of view. And he’s doing it on multiple tables at once.
