https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/...ument/20150909TurkeySubSaharanAfricaShinn.pdf
A report about Turkeys engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa. I copied the parts about Somalia below:
"The presence of Somalia specifically reflects Turkey’s significant political interest in conflict resolution in that country.16 Turkey is apparently covering some of the operating costs of the embassies of poorer countries, and in the case of Somalia it is paying the entire cost.17"
"As regards Somalia, Turkey’s foreign minister noted in late 2014 that private Turkish companies were expected to invest more than $100 million over the next two to three years just in Mogadishu.67 The leading sectors for Turkish investment in SSA are construction, followed by manufacturing and agricultural vehicles.68"
"The Turkish Red Crescent has been active in selected SSA countries. It established a $5 million field hospital in Darfur in 2006, and has continued to provide health services there. In 2008 it developed a modern pharmacy at a hospital in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena. Its biggest SSA effort was in 2011, when it mobilized a major national campaign of assistance for victims of famine in Somalia.103 The Turkish branch of Doctors Worldwide (DWW) has been active since 2000 in SSA countries such as Kenya, Sudan, the DRC, Ghana and Sierra Leone. One team has provided medical services in the CAR since 2007, and the organization provided non-food relief to vulnerable people in the country in 2014. Turkish DWW operates a hospital in Mogadishu, and was responsible for training Somalia’s first medical specialists.104 Following the bomb attack on Turkish embassy staff in July 2013, DWW issued a press statement confirming that the attack would not deter the organization from helping the people of Somalia.105"
Turkey has a long history of engagement in Somalia. From 1991 Turkey participated in the UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM), and in 1993 Lieutenant-General Çevik Bir was appointed force commander of UNOSOM II. However, the failure of this mission resulted in a great deal of Somali animosity towards both Bir and Turkey.32 In 2010 Turkey hosted the UN-sponsored Istanbul Conference on Somalia, and the Turkish people donated some $300 million to combat famine in the country. In 2011 an emergency ministerial-level meeting of the OIC executive committee convened in Istanbul to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia. The second Istanbul Conference on Somalia, held in 2012 under the banner ‘Preparing Somalia’s Future: Goals for 2015’, further progressed Somalia’s political transition.33 More recently, in March 2015 Turkey hosted the eighth round of talks between the governments of Somalia and Somaliland as they sought to reach agreement on issues such as security, piracy and illegal fishing.34 Turkey’s humanitarian support for Somalia in recent years has been interpreted by some observers as having enhanced the country’s standing in a way that has fostered considerable economic opportunities across Africa.35 For example, a Turkish company was recently awarded a 20-year contract for the reconstruction and maintenance of Mogadishu’s port.36
Erdoğan is one of only two heads of government to have visited Somalia in recent years.37 His high-profile visit to Somalia during the famine of 2011 was the first by a non-African head of government in almost two decades. During the visit, he signed a 49-year agreement with the then Somali transitional federal government (TFG) to enhance the education system in the country through the work of the Nile Organization (affiliated with Erdoğan’s former ally Fethullah Gülen, the influential Turkish scholar and Muslim preacher now living in exile in the United States).
In 2012 Ahmet Davutoğlu, then foreign minister, stated that Turkey was ready to lend military assistance in order to help establish political stability in Somalia.38 Turkey has provided $8.84 million for the restructuring of the Somali army and police force, and trains Somalis in military academies in Turkey.39 It also offered to mediate between the TFG and the militant al-Shabaab organization, but the latter rejected this proposal. While most Somalis have praised Turkey’s role in their country, al-Shabaab has been strongly critical.40 The organization claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on Turkish embassy staff in Mogadishu in July 2013, in which three people were killed.41 Three Turkish construction workers were injured in an attack on the Turkish embassy in April 2014.42 In January 2015, prior to Erdoğan’s visit, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing at a hotel in Mogadishu where some 70 members of the Turkish advance delegation were staying; at least five people were reported to have been killed in the attack, although none was apparently a member of the visiting delegation.43
Much of the Turkish effort in Somalia is driven by its charities and NGOs, with the government having an oversight role. The programmes are often funded by business figures. Turkey’s health ministry, in coordination with the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), manages the largest hospital complex in Somalia, and the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) is in the process of constructing an orphanage which will be the largest in the Horn of Africa.44 Turkey is also building schools and clinics, and it is currently involved in a project to improve Mogadishu’s water supply. In 2012 Turkish Airlines became the first (and only) major carrier to serve the Somali capital in over 20 years; it now operates four flights there a week. Prior to the resumption of services, the Turkish government undertook work to secure the airport and installed air traffic control equipment. As well as repairing mosques damaged by war, Turkey’s state directorate of religious affairs, or Diyanet, is currently building a new mosque in Somalia as part of its international programme.45 There is also an active Turkish–Somali business organization. Somalis have been impressed that, unlike other expatriates, most Turks in Mogadishu live among the Somali people, rather than in secure walled compounds. A senior Somali official told the author of this paper that Turkey is apparently motivated by a real desire to help Somalia, and that ‘in any event, the TFG can’t turn down such generous help’.46
A report about Turkeys engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa. I copied the parts about Somalia below:
"The presence of Somalia specifically reflects Turkey’s significant political interest in conflict resolution in that country.16 Turkey is apparently covering some of the operating costs of the embassies of poorer countries, and in the case of Somalia it is paying the entire cost.17"
"As regards Somalia, Turkey’s foreign minister noted in late 2014 that private Turkish companies were expected to invest more than $100 million over the next two to three years just in Mogadishu.67 The leading sectors for Turkish investment in SSA are construction, followed by manufacturing and agricultural vehicles.68"
"The Turkish Red Crescent has been active in selected SSA countries. It established a $5 million field hospital in Darfur in 2006, and has continued to provide health services there. In 2008 it developed a modern pharmacy at a hospital in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena. Its biggest SSA effort was in 2011, when it mobilized a major national campaign of assistance for victims of famine in Somalia.103 The Turkish branch of Doctors Worldwide (DWW) has been active since 2000 in SSA countries such as Kenya, Sudan, the DRC, Ghana and Sierra Leone. One team has provided medical services in the CAR since 2007, and the organization provided non-food relief to vulnerable people in the country in 2014. Turkish DWW operates a hospital in Mogadishu, and was responsible for training Somalia’s first medical specialists.104 Following the bomb attack on Turkish embassy staff in July 2013, DWW issued a press statement confirming that the attack would not deter the organization from helping the people of Somalia.105"
Turkey has a long history of engagement in Somalia. From 1991 Turkey participated in the UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM), and in 1993 Lieutenant-General Çevik Bir was appointed force commander of UNOSOM II. However, the failure of this mission resulted in a great deal of Somali animosity towards both Bir and Turkey.32 In 2010 Turkey hosted the UN-sponsored Istanbul Conference on Somalia, and the Turkish people donated some $300 million to combat famine in the country. In 2011 an emergency ministerial-level meeting of the OIC executive committee convened in Istanbul to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia. The second Istanbul Conference on Somalia, held in 2012 under the banner ‘Preparing Somalia’s Future: Goals for 2015’, further progressed Somalia’s political transition.33 More recently, in March 2015 Turkey hosted the eighth round of talks between the governments of Somalia and Somaliland as they sought to reach agreement on issues such as security, piracy and illegal fishing.34 Turkey’s humanitarian support for Somalia in recent years has been interpreted by some observers as having enhanced the country’s standing in a way that has fostered considerable economic opportunities across Africa.35 For example, a Turkish company was recently awarded a 20-year contract for the reconstruction and maintenance of Mogadishu’s port.36
Erdoğan is one of only two heads of government to have visited Somalia in recent years.37 His high-profile visit to Somalia during the famine of 2011 was the first by a non-African head of government in almost two decades. During the visit, he signed a 49-year agreement with the then Somali transitional federal government (TFG) to enhance the education system in the country through the work of the Nile Organization (affiliated with Erdoğan’s former ally Fethullah Gülen, the influential Turkish scholar and Muslim preacher now living in exile in the United States).
In 2012 Ahmet Davutoğlu, then foreign minister, stated that Turkey was ready to lend military assistance in order to help establish political stability in Somalia.38 Turkey has provided $8.84 million for the restructuring of the Somali army and police force, and trains Somalis in military academies in Turkey.39 It also offered to mediate between the TFG and the militant al-Shabaab organization, but the latter rejected this proposal. While most Somalis have praised Turkey’s role in their country, al-Shabaab has been strongly critical.40 The organization claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on Turkish embassy staff in Mogadishu in July 2013, in which three people were killed.41 Three Turkish construction workers were injured in an attack on the Turkish embassy in April 2014.42 In January 2015, prior to Erdoğan’s visit, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing at a hotel in Mogadishu where some 70 members of the Turkish advance delegation were staying; at least five people were reported to have been killed in the attack, although none was apparently a member of the visiting delegation.43
Much of the Turkish effort in Somalia is driven by its charities and NGOs, with the government having an oversight role. The programmes are often funded by business figures. Turkey’s health ministry, in coordination with the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), manages the largest hospital complex in Somalia, and the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) is in the process of constructing an orphanage which will be the largest in the Horn of Africa.44 Turkey is also building schools and clinics, and it is currently involved in a project to improve Mogadishu’s water supply. In 2012 Turkish Airlines became the first (and only) major carrier to serve the Somali capital in over 20 years; it now operates four flights there a week. Prior to the resumption of services, the Turkish government undertook work to secure the airport and installed air traffic control equipment. As well as repairing mosques damaged by war, Turkey’s state directorate of religious affairs, or Diyanet, is currently building a new mosque in Somalia as part of its international programme.45 There is also an active Turkish–Somali business organization. Somalis have been impressed that, unlike other expatriates, most Turks in Mogadishu live among the Somali people, rather than in secure walled compounds. A senior Somali official told the author of this paper that Turkey is apparently motivated by a real desire to help Somalia, and that ‘in any event, the TFG can’t turn down such generous help’.46
