Turkey to mediate in Somalia-Ethiopia port row

Somalia and Ethiopia will resume negotiations in Ankara on a port in Somaliland, a breakaway region where Addis Ababa offered recognition in return for using the Red Sea port.

Relations worsened when Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding to use 20 km of coastal land for a port purpose.

Somalia opposed the deal and denounced it as a violation of its sovereignty and an act of aggression by Ethiopia. Kenya has previously offered to mediate in the conflict between the two neighbors.

At a news conference in Istanbul, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said a second round of talks between Somalia and Ethiopia will take place in Ankara next week.

Turkey has been building a strong presence in Somalia investing massively in the war-ravaged country.

In 2017, Turkey established its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu, where it has been training Somali soldiers.

In February, Somalia’s Cabinet approved a ten-year defense and economic pact with Turkey, which includes providing training and equipment for the Somali Navy to help it protect the African country’s marine resources and shield it of threats such as terrorism and piracy.