The partnership between Somalia and Türkiye is among the most prominent and strategic in the Horn of Africa. Türkiye has consistently supported Somalia’s recovery through humanitarian aid, infrastructure, education, health services, security cooperation, and institutional engagement. For many Somalis, this relationship exemplifies genuine state-to-state cooperation, rather than an alliance based on individuals or short-term political interests.
This is why many observers are concerned that some Somali officials are personalizing the partnership and using it for domestic political purposes.
Somalia’s Minister of Ports, Abdulkadir Nur, is often cited in these discussions. Critics argue that his actions risk misrepresenting Somalia’s relationship with Türkiye. The issue extends beyond individual conduct to the broader harm caused when a state-to-state partnership appears to be driven by personal or political interests.
Diplomatic relations should be grounded in institutions, national interests, and mutual respect. When a minister treats foreign partnerships as personal assets for internal political gain, it creates the impression that Türkiye supports only a specific political group rather than the Somali state. This perception is detrimental to both Somalia and Türkiye.
For Somalia, it deepens internal mistrust. Opposition groups For Somalia, this dynamic increases internal mistrust. Opposition groups and citizens may begin to view a key foreign partner through a political lens, rather than as a nation supporting Somalia as a whole. This perception can foster resentment and risk involving foreign governments in local disputes they neither created nor support.ish government has spent years building goodwill among Somalis from all regions and backgrounds. That goodwill was earned through visible support during difficult times, not through favoritism toward one faction. If Somali officials use the symbolism of the Somalia–Türkiye relationship to attack rivals or strengthen partisan agendas, they may unintentionally manufacture hostility toward Turkish interests and Turkish citizens. In that case, the real victim is the very partnership they claim to defend.
This criticism of Abdulkadir Nur is politically significant. Detractors argue that his actions create the impression that Türkiye supports only President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his allies. Such a perception undermines a broad national partnership, reduces diplomacy to domestic propaganda, and risks portraying Türkiye as partial in a country already challenged by political exclusion.
No responsible Somali leader should allow that to happen.
Somalia’s foreign relations must not be reduced to personal influence or elite networks. Ministers are responsible for safeguarding bilateral relations by ensuring they remain national in scope. This requires avoiding actions or language that suggest foreign allies are linked to individuals, and recognizing that careless political messaging can have far-reaching consequences, especially with strategic partners like Türkiye.
As Somalia faces significant political, security, and institutional challenges, it requires leaders who distinguish between governance and campaigning. Officials must separate national diplomacy from factional politics and recognize that foreign relations should unite, not divide, the country.
The Somalia–Türkiye relationship should remain a partnership between two peoples and two states. It should not be hijacked by personalities,The Somalia–Türkiye relationship should remain a partnership between two peoples and two states. It must not be appropriated by individuals or used to advance personal or political agendas. Personalizing this relationship is both irresponsible and shortsighted.t stop creating the impression that access to Ankara belongs to a few politically connected individuals. And they must stop feeding a narrative that could make ordinary Somalis view a longstanding ally with suspicion.
Strong diplomatic relations endure when built on institutions, mutual interests, and respect. When reduced to personal networks or political agendas, they become fragile and vulnerable to backlash.
Somalia and Türkiye deserve better. The partnership between the two countries must be protected from those who seek to use it for personal political gain.
