Somali government and Parliament approve defense agreement with Turkey

In a move to bolster its defense capabilities and maritime security, the Somali government, along with its parliament, has approved a 10-year defense agreement with Turkey.

This agreement comes against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions, particularly between Mogadishu and its Ethiopian neighbor, which recently signed a pact with the separatist Somaliland region.

Under the terms of the defense agreement, Turkey, a member of NATO and a close ally of Somalia, will assist in defending Somalia's extensive coastline and in rebuilding its naval forces.

President Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud, following a joint session of Parliament, emphasized that the agreement focuses solely on maritime defense cooperation and economic collaboration between Somalia and Turkey, without any intent to sow discord with other nations.

Tensions have been high among the Horn of Africa neighbors since Ethiopia's closer ties with Somaliland, evidenced by the signing of a "protocol agreement" on January 1st, which grants Ethiopia a 50-year lease of 20 kilometers of Somaliland's coastline on the Gulf of Aden. Mogadishu has condemned this agreement as "illegal."

Somaliland authorities have claimed that in exchange for access to the sea, Ethiopia would become the first nation to officially recognize Somaliland—a move no country has made since its unilateral declaration of independence from Somalia in 1991.

"The Somali government has clearly expressed its position: Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, leading to this historic agreement today," stated Deputy Defense Minister Abdifatah Kassim.

"With this agreement, Turkey will safeguard Somalia's coastline from pirates, terrorists, and any actors violating our maritime borders, including Ethiopia," he added.

Ankara has maintained close ties with Somalia and is its primary economic partner, particularly in construction, education, health, and military cooperation sectors. Turkey also hosts Somalia's largest overseas military base and training center.

Following the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia, several countries and international organizations—including the United States, China, European Union, African Union, and Arab League—have called for respect for Somali sovereignty.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation with 120 million people, has been seeking access to the Red Sea, gradually lost after Eritrea's independence in 1993.

Somaliland, relatively stable compared to the rest of Somalia, remains economically disadvantaged despite its strategic location on the southern shore of the Gulf of Aden—one of the world's busiest shipping routes, leading to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and the Suez Canal.