Doha, Qatar - President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has had a high level bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of the Arab and Islamic States Summit in Doha and discussed strategic cooperation and significant challenges in the region.
The meeting brought together President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.
The two leaders talked about how to reinforce bilateral relations with an emphasis on cooperation in regards to the economy, politics, and security. As Somalia's Presidency added, they reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Turkey and Somalia and promised to enhance mutual cooperation in areas of priority in regards to development and security.
The meeting happened on September 16, 2025, in Doha, Qatar, at the emergency summit meeting of the Arab and Islamic countries.
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The two leaders aimed to address the dynamic issue of geopolitics in the Middle East, affecting Arab and Islamic nations. They particularly highlighted the essence of unity and solidarity in meeting challenges posed by instabilities in the region.
The meeting included in-person meetings between the two leaders, in which strategic collaboration was emphasized. President Hassan emphasized the point that Somalia values Turkey's unwavering support, ranging from humanitarian support to security training and infrastructure development.
Besides the bilateral agenda, President Hassan Sheikh gave an address to the summit in which he reiterated Somalia's unwavering support to Qatar in the midst of what he deemed to be a "tough period" given recent escalation in the region. President Hassan Sheikh condemned attacks by the Israeli state on Qatar as crimes not only on Qatar but on the whole Arab and Islamic world.
The president of Somalia has also highlighted Somalia's long history of standing by the Palestinian nation, and once more urging nations to adopt a united Arab-Islamic stance to call for an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as capital. The world leaders were asked to abide by international law and United Nations resolutions to bring an immediate end to what he characterized as Israeli "illegal aggression" and ensure stability in the region.
Somalia and Turkey have enjoyed a long-standing relationship of over a decade. Turkey has been Somalia's most consistent ally and has invested considerably in humanitarian aid, infrastructure support, and support in security. Turkey's presence in Somalia includes the largest Turkish embassy in Africa, Turkish military training in Mogadishu, and a host of developmental projects to have established it as a leading strategic ally.
President Hassan Sheikh's Doha meeting with President Erdogan is a concentrated bid at solidifying Somali-Turkish relations amid shifts in dynamics in the Middle East. Through close cooperation with Turkey and rededication of support to Palestine and Qatar, Somalia secures itself firmly within broader Arab-Islamic solidarity frameworks while securing key support to national developmental and security agendas.
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