Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Somalia in 2011 was a historic turning point that changed the country's destiny, a Somali minister has said.
Somalia's Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur told Anadolu in an interview that Erdogan’s visit in August 2011 occurred during one of the most difficult periods Somalia has experienced since the collapse of its state structure in 1990.
Erdogan's visit to Mogadishu with his wife Emine Erdogan, children, and ministers is remembered as an unforgettable day in Somalia, which was then struggling with the most severe drought in its history, Nur said.
Somali officials say this visit is a turning point in bringing the country out of isolation and onto the international community's agenda, elevating Turkish-Somali relations to a strategic level.
Nur stated that Somalia, which had seemed abandoned since the collapse of the state in 1990, experienced one of its worst droughts in history.
"In those days, Somalia was a country isolated from the world and without aid. When President Erdogan, along with his cabinet, family, and all his officials, arrived in Somalia, a turning point occurred. Not only did the Turkish people receive aid, but the entire world's attention was focused on Somalia," he noted.
Nur emphasised that Türkiye has never backed down from Somalia since Erdogan's visit, saying, "Since that day, we have improved every day. Türkiye's contribution to Somalia's reconstruction has been significant."
Nur stated that Türkiye has always supported Somalia in its fight against terrorism, its development, and the prosperity of its people.
Mohamed Dhuubow, Director of the Somali Investment Promotion Office at the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, commented on Erdogan's visits, saying, "The 2011 visit was for humanitarian aid, but the second visit in 2016 was a development trip."
Dhuubow stated that Türkiye's role in Somalia has shifted to investment and infrastructure.
The opening of an embassy in Mogadishu, the establishment of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) Office, and the opening of Turkish schools and hospitals all served to institutionalise relations.
Today, Somalia has become a symbol of Türkiye's African expansion. Turkish companies are a visible player in Somalia's infrastructure and daily life, while the two countries are exploring new collaborations in energy, fishing, and even space.
