Turkish top diplomat meets Ethiopian, Somali counterparts

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan brought his counterparts from Ethiopia and Somalia together once again in the Turkish capital as part of Ankara's efforts to resolve the problems between the two African neighboring states.

Fidan met with Ethiopia Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie and Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi separately on Aug. 12 before a trilateral meeting.

In the meantime, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on late Aug. 11, just a night before the key meeting. According to a statement by the Communications Directorate, Erdoğan expressed his expectations for a concrete result out of the Ethiopia-Somalia talks mediated by Türkiye.

Ties between Ethiopia and Somalia have worsened since Ethiopia struck a deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland on Jan. 1. The agreement allows Ethiopia to have access to the Red Sea through Somaliland. In return, the Ethiopian government promised to become the first country to recognize the self-acclaimed country.

Somalia has fiercely reacted to this development and signed a security agreement with Türkiye for the protection of its sea security.

Ethiopia had lost its access to sea following Eritrea's de facto independence in 1991.

Türkiye's efforts aim to deescalate tension between the two countries through an agreement that would ensure Somalia's territorial integrity and sovereignty while pledging Ethiopia to have access to the Red Sea.