Turkey to Facilitate Resumption of Somalia-Somaliland Talks

January 8, 2019

Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Amb. Mehmet Yilmaz meets with Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi

Horndiplomat-Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Ambassador Mehmet Yilmaz has paid an official visit to the Hargeisa the capital of Somaliland.Horndiplomat reports

The president of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi has received Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Ambassador Mehmet Yilmaz at the Presidency.
During meeting President Bihi and Ambassador Yilmaz discussed the role of Turkey in Somaliland-Somalia talks and development and infrastructure projects, scholarships for international students and enhancing cooperation between the two countries.

Somaliland Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prof.Yasin Mohamoud Faraton, Health Dr. Hasan Ismail Yusuf and Turkish Consular to Somaliland Ali Noyan Coşkun were in attendance.

Somaliland and Somalia Talks

The Turkey Government has appointed Dr. Olgan Bekar, former Turkey Ambassador a to Somalia as Turkey’s new Special Envoy to Somalia and Somaliland talks.
Somalia Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey Ambassador Jama A. Mohamed welcomed the new Turkish envoy tasked with facilitating Somalia and Somaliland talks.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The talks began in 2012 when the London Conference on Somalia, held at Lancaster House on February resulted in a communiqué. Pre-talks communique emphasised “the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and Somalia’ .
The Somaliland-Somalia hit a deadlock several times over technical issues. Both Somalia and Somaliland governments are keen to resume talks.