Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted a surprise meeting of the foreign ministers of Somalia and Ethiopia on Monday, hours after reports of Ankara's mediation efforts between the two rivals. Fidan said after the talks that the ministers would hold a second meeting on Sept. 2.
Noting the complexity of the issue, Hakan Fidan said, "In light of what we heard today, our hopes for the future have been strengthened. The (foreign) ministers have decided to meet again on Sept. 2, 2024, in Ankara for a second round of talks," stressing that all parties reached a better understanding.
Fidan's statement came after Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie and Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met in Türkiye in a bid to settle their countries’ differences. Emphasizing that progress was made during the talks, Fidan said Türkiye played a facilitating role with its deep-rooted relations and wide-ranging cooperation with both countries. "We find ourselves in a very privileged position today. The highest level of trust and the mandate given by both sides to Türkiye and President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan reinforces our conviction that we are on the right track," he added, reaffirming Ankara's commitment to peace, diplomacy and goodwill supports efforts to build common dialogue and find common ground. Fidan also held one-to-one meetings with the two countries’ foreign ministers.
A joint Ankara statement issued following Monday’s meeting said that Ethiopia and Somalia "agreed to meet in Ankara on Sept. 2, 2024, to have a second round of discussions." "The Ministers, through Türkiye’s facilitation, were able to separately have a candid, cordial and forward-looking exchange concerning their differences and explored perspectives towards addressing them within a mutually acceptable framework," it noted, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Stressing that the foreign ministers reaffirmed their "commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences, and expressed their appreciation to Türkiye for its facilitation, as well as its constructive contributions," it underscored that they also agreed to uphold the dialogue to ensure regional stability and sort out their issues. "Both parties expressed their appreciation to His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, for this initiative," it added.
Ties between Ethiopia and Somalia have worsened since Ethiopia struck a deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland on Jan. 1. The Ethiopian government defended its decision to sign the deal without Mogadishu's approval, saying the agreement with Somaliland "will affect no party or country." Somalia lashed out at the pact, calling it a violation of its sovereignty and recalling its ambassador from Ethiopia.
The neighbors have a history of stormy relations and territorial feuds: they fought two wars in the late 20th century.
These tensions were exacerbated earlier this year when Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland that gives Ethiopia, one of the largest landlocked countries in the world, long-sought-after sea access. In return, Somaliland, which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, a move not recognized by Mogadishu, has said Ethiopia would give it formal recognition, although these assertions have not been confirmed by Addis Ababa. Under the Jan. 1 pact, Somaliland agreed to lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of its coast for 50 years to Ethiopia, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port.
The dispute has stoked deep concerns about the stability of the Horn of Africa, with many countries and international organizations calling for Somalia's sovereignty to be respected. Ethiopia was cut off from the coast after Eritrea seceded and declared independence in 1993 following a three-decade war.
Türkiye has raised its profile in Africa in the past two decades under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Africa initiative, which pursues closer relations with all countries of the continent. Ankara is especially close to Somalia, which recently signed a defense and economy pact with Türkiye.