Türkiye 'reshapes' Horn of Africa dynamics with pact between Somalia, Ethiopia: Report

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Türkiye has "reshaped" dynamics in the Horn of Africa region by ending tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s mediation talks on Wednesday, one of Somalia’s biggest news websites reported.

Hiiraan Online said the Ankara Declaration, reached this week in the Turkish capital of the same name, helped Somalia reclaim its sovereignty while Ethiopia seeks sea access through Mogadishu.

It said that with the pact, Türkiye cemented its role as a regional mediator in the region.

The deal, it continued, “opened new doors for Addis Ababa. The agreement compels Ethiopia to negotiate directly with Somalia for maritime access, shifting from isolation to structured diplomacy.”

Garowe Online, a major Somali outlet, also hailed the appearance in Ankara of “handshakes that made history.”

It praised the agreement as a critical step toward enhanced regional stability and economic collaboration in the Horn of Africa.

This week President Erdogan hosted his Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ankara.

On the landmark pact, Erdogan told a joint news conference: “We have taken the first step toward a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia.”

In 1991, Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia, leading to the establishment of two separate nations. The separation resulted in Ethiopia losing direct access to the Red Sea and key ports.

The two East African countries have been at odds since Ethiopia struck a deal with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland to use its Red Sea port of Berbera. Türkiye has been working to end tensions between the two.

After their meeting with Erdogan, the Somali and Ethiopian leaders “reaffirmed their respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity," according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

"They agreed, within a spirit of friendship and mutual respect, to forgo and leave behind differences and contentious issues and forge ahead in a cooperative manner to pursue shared prosperity."