OPINION - Ankara Declaration: The role of security in the win-win approach

By Tunc Demirtas

- The author is a foreign policy researcher at the Ankara-based Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).

ISTANBUL (AA) – In recent years, Türkiye has increased its significance in the global system with its diplomatic initiatives and contributions to peace and security. Türkiye stands out with its potential to contribute to peace, security, and stability through its recent diplomatic successes. Most recently, the Ankara Process, which facilitated reconciliation between Somalia and Ethiopia with Türkiye's facilitation, has highlighted a situation that contributes to regional security and stability. The intent expressed in the reconciliatory declaration to progress collaboratively toward mutual prosperity is an important sign that the path to economic cooperation has been opened. Furthermore, the intent to establish mutually advantageous trade arrangements further reinforces this understanding. However, ensuring regional security is a highly critical issue for economic relations and collaborations to progress safely in the region. Indeed, in this new process, Türkiye's effective soft power, as well as the contribution of its defense industry products, will be inevitable. The presence of smart power elements in the region is expected to bring many advantages in terms of counterterrorism and safeguarding the national security of regional countries. Thus, Türkiye's continued contribution to regional peace and security in the Horn of Africa in the new era is inevitable. Notably, the interest of regional countries in Turkish defense industry products stands as a stabilizing and, in some way, a practical deterrent to peace.

- Türkiye's role in regional peace and security

On December 11, 2024, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came together at a peace summit in Ankara under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where they announced the successful conclusion of the Ankara Process at a joint press conference. The Ankara Declaration, which resulted from this summit, emphasized Somalia's territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and independence, alongside Ethiopia’s access to the sea for commercial purposes. These agreements mark an important step toward establishing peace in the Horn of Africa. Evidently, Türkiye's approach to Africa policy, characterized by need-oriented foreign policy practices, has once again come to the forefront.

The establishment of this peace environment is thought to have an indirect yet critical role played by Turkish defense industry products. For instance, the defense collaboration between Türkiye and Ethiopia was crucial in addressing Ethiopia’s issues with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in recent years or in tackling current national security problems. Similarly, Türkiye’s contributions to Somalia’s security in the field of counterterrorism have been of critical importance. In this context, Turkish defense industry products should be regarded as both a deterrent against actors causing problems for regional countries and a stabilizing element for national and regional security. Essentially, the presence of Türkiye during challenging times for both countries has played a significant role in this peace process. Hence, the defense collaborations established in the past can be considered to have indirectly contributed to today’s conditions. Türkiye's critical role in ensuring regional stability and security has gained a new dimension with the Ankara Declaration.

- The role of security in the win-win approach

Türkiye's progress in the defense industry has garnered attention in Africa, as it has in other crisis regions of the world. Turkish defense industry products, which have demonstrated a game-changing effect in regions such as Libya, Karabakh, Syria, Ethiopia, and Somalia, play a vital role in countering threats to legitimate governments and the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of nations. In this context, the agreement reached in the Ankara Process, as highlighted in the Ankara Declaration, concerning Somalia’s utilization of reliable, secure, and sustainable access to the sea under the authority of the Federal Government for commercial purposes has the potential to transform into an economic gain for the region through Türkiye’s initiatives.

Consequently, the importance of regional security has increased further. The contribution of Turkish defense industry products to regional security environments not only strengthens economic and trade relations between the regional countries and Türkiye but also enables conditions that encourage more investors to increase their investments in the region and expand trade volumes. Moreover, it provides opportunities to increase mutual economic interdependence, facilitating the creation of new regional trade routes and emphasizing the necessity of securing these routes.

In this regard, the agreements reached in the relevant articles of the Ankara Declaration represent a significant asset that paves the way for economic cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia. If this cooperation progresses in a healthy and sustainable manner, it is inevitable that new areas of business opportunities will emerge in the region. Beyond the region, new opportunities will arise in logistics, port management, maritime trade, and various other sectors.

In this process, thanks to Türkiye’s support in providing defense infrastructure to Africa, greater investment and trade volumes are expected to emerge in various sub-regions. At the same time, with the advancement of defense technologies and Turkish diplomacy, it is highly likely that more effective steps will be taken to resolve conflicts and tensions among regional countries. In summary, Türkiye’s presence and contribution to the peaceful environment in Africa once again demonstrate its strategic role in security and economic development.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Anadolu's editorial policy.