In our first edition of the Horn of Africa series (Part 2), I continue my discussions with Somali-American scholar, Guled Ahmed, to discuss the evolving role of Türkiye in the Horn of Africa.
Editor-in-Chief, Gus Anderson: Last year Ethiopia and Somaliland agreed a Memorandum of Understanding. In it, Ethiopia agreed to recognise Somaliland independence in exchange for access to Berbera port.
However, lately this Memorandum has gone backwards with Ethiopia and Somalia cooking up a deal: the Ankara Declaration.
How do you see the role of Türkiye in the Horn of Africa on the issue of Somaliland?
Guled Ahmed: Absolutely. The best thing happened. We are going to lease this piece of land and get recognition; it is still standing.
Türkiye has been involed in Somalia since 2011.
Ankara was the first ones to be involved in Somalia with President Erdogan visiting Somalia in 2011. Consecutive years saw Türkiye deepen economic and miltiary cooperation; 2017 saw the first Turkish military base, Camp TURKSOM, established in Mogadishu and Ankara has cooperated with Mogadishu on ‘national security’.
I have written extensive research on this; Türkiye is exploiting Somalia for geopolitical reasons and also economically.
The current deal is a way to push Somaliland into a official union with Somalia.
Ethiopia is desperately seeking maritime access whilst Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamed, failed all attempts since 2024 to frame the MoU Deal as a national security threat to Somalia.
This has been replicated by former U.S. National Security, John Kirby, who sold the MoU Deal as a "threat to Somalia's national security".
The Americans and Somalis sold this idea yet Somali politicians continue to wage a proxy war against Somaliland since the MoU. Somalia has funded militia in eastern Somaliland to cancel the MoU Deal.
Before the MoU Deal, there was a joint military maritime exercise between Somaliland and the U.S. Naval Forces. Ankara is trying to eliminate all of these advancements in the Somaliland arena.
Türkiye’s goal is trying to exploit this deal economically. Ankara aims to keep investments in Somalia, Ethiopia, and the wider Horn of Africa.
The spoiler, Türkiye is trying to exploit African countries.
President Erdogan has ambitions, stemming from the Ottoman Empire, where he wishes to bring back Turkish control over vast territory beyond Türkiye under the expense of NATO, whether it is from Syria, Africa, or the Caucasus.
Editor-in-Chief, Gus Anderson: Definitely, Erdogan’s ambitions can be seen not just in the Horn of Africa but on the Kurdish issue in Syria.
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Read also:
Triangular Diplomacy: Djibouti, the Houthis, and Al-Shabaab
Unrecognised Independence: The Case for Somaliland
The New Middle East: A Region In Flux
