Turkey to protect Somali sea waters for ten years

Duvar English

The Somali government on Feb. 21 authorized Turkey to protect its sea waters for 10 years with the defense agreement signed between the two countries.

Somalia Information Minister Daud Aweis said on X, “This landmark 10-year pact will significantly bolster the Somalia government’s endeavors to safeguard its sovereignty.”

Somalia Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur on Feb. 8 signed a "Framework Agreement on Defense and Economic Cooperation" in the capital Ankara during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Yaşar Güler.

On top of the economic and political problems, the outlawed radical Islamist armed organization al-Shabaab has been continuing to pose a security problem in Somalia for years. Somalia also has been experiencing conflicts with neighboring Ethiopia in sea.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that the agreement signed between Turkey and Somalia did not pose a threat to the countries in the region and said, "Our Turkish brothers will protect our seas for only 10 years within the framework of this agreement. After 10 years of co-operation, we will have our own navy to protect our seas,” according to the online news outlet T24.

Since 2009, the Turkish Navy has been operating in Somali territorial waters under a UN mission aimed at combating piracy and armed robbery. Ankara also maintains a sizable military base in the capital Mogadishu.

President Mohamud noted that the agreement with Turkey covered co-operation in Somalia on issues such as combating terrorism, external threats, piracy and illegal fishing, coastal protection and the development of marine resources. He added that the agreement had no hostile intentions towards Ethiopia or any other country.

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