The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that representatives of Horn of Africa rivals Somalia and Ethiopia will meet in Türkiye on Monday to resolve their differences. The statement confirmed Minister Hakan Fidan's earlier statement on a new series of talks that would take place "this week."
The ministry said in a statement that talks scheduled to start on September 2 had been brought forward. The talks aim to find a way to give Ethiopia access to international waters through Somalia without upsetting its territorial sovereignty. Since Eritrea's secession in 1991, Ethiopia has been the most populous country in the world without direct access to the sea.
Foreign ministers from the neighbors first met in Ankara on July 1, with Fidan acting as mediator.
Fidan went to Ethiopia on Aug. 3 to meet its leaders. The ministry said there have since been contacts with Somalia "at the highest level." It was not immediately known who would participate in Monday's talks on what the Turkish ministry called "the needs, worries and approaches of the two countries."
Ethiopia made an accord in January with Somaliland that unilaterally broke away from Somalia. Ethiopia gained access to the sea but recognized the territory's independence, setting off a new crisis with its neighbor. The two countries, which have fought two wars in the past century, agreed in March to resolve their quarrel.
However, the Turkish ministry said "indirect negotiations" have not produced a result, acknowledging "increasing tensions in the region." Türkiye said it had secured support from countries in the region for its mediation efforts.
Over the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) two decades in power and under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ankara has consolidated its foothold in Africa, quadrupling its number of embassies there. At a time when many African countries were turning away from their former colonial rulers, Türkiye looked to fill the void left behind.
Ankara enjoys close economic, diplomatic and military friendships with Somalia and Ethiopia.
Türkiye has become a close ally of the Somali government since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan first visited Mogadishu in 2011, training its security forces and supplying development assistance.
In February, the two nations signed a defense pact under which Ankara will provide maritime security support to Somalia to help the African country defend its territorial waters.
Türkiye has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Türkiye, and in return, secured a foothold in Africa and on a key global shipping route.
Türkiye pledged full support to establishing peace and stability in Ethiopia after clashes between federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) broke out in 2020. When the war ended, the Turkish Maarif Foundation immediately opened a school in Tigray. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) opened its first office in Ethiopia to deliver humanitarian aid and cultural projects in Africa.