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Ankara has been warned against interfering in the agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland
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Ankara (ANN)-The Turkish government, which is deeply involved in Somalia, has opened a dialogue on the issue with Ethiopia and Somalia, expecting that as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey said that on Monday, Ankara will continue the second phase of the dialogue between Ethiopia and Somalia.
President Bihi responded to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, which said that the Ethiopian government advised the Somali President Hassan Sheikh to agree to the request of the Berbera port that did not go through Somaliland, and President Bihi He described the issue as a mistake that never happened, saying, “The issue of Turkey is the sun that has risen from the west”, and it is not happening and Somaliland will not accept it, he said.
Accoding to diplomatic link Somalia is preparing to offer Ethiopia access to a port, while Ethiopia plans to withdraw from its agreement with Somaliland. Diplomatic sources indicate that Ethiopia and Somalia have concluded negotiations based on a “give and take” principle.
The foreign ministers of Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed in principle to Turkey’s proposal. This agreement involves Somalia providing port access to Ethiopia, which will then abandon the deal it made with Somaliland in January.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate meetings in the Turkish capital of Ankara with his Ethiopian counterpart, Taye Atske Selassie, and Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, according to the ministry.
The two delegations did not meet face-to-face but Turkish officials shuttled between the two sides in so-called proximity talks, officials said.
Turkey also hosted the first round of talks, in July, also involving separate meetings with Fidan. The second round of talks were initially scheduled for September but were brought forward following Fidan’s visit to Ethiopia earlier this month.
Turkey has forged close ties with Somalia, and recently signed deals toward cooperation in defense and oil and gas exploration. It also has economic and trade ties with Ethiopia.
Meinwhile, Recent remarks from the Turkish president and the Ethiopian prime minister support this situation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan contacted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the phone accoding to the source media, suggesting that if Ethiopia takes actions to reduce any threats to Somalia’s independence and unity, it will help continue the discussions. Diplomats view this as a sign that Ethiopia is distancing itself from its agreement with Somaliland.
The president of the Republic of Somaliland, Muse Bihi, spoke about Turkey’s political activities in the Horn of Africa region, while the Turkish government is trying to prevent Ankara from canceling the MoU of 1 January 2024The President of the Republic of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed signed in Addis Ababa that Ethiopia should be given 20 km of sea, in return Ethiopia recognizes the independence of the Republic of Somaliland.
Written by Arraale M. Jama, a freelance journalist and human rights activist.
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