Turkiye: Erdogan welcomes Somali president 

Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed his Somali counterpart on Wednesday with an official ceremony in the capital Ankara. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is on a four-day official visit to the country.

The leaders will hold talks before delegation-level meetings followed by a signing ceremony and a joint news conference.

Representing Turkiye alongside Erdogan at the official reception were Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati, Trade Minister Mehmet Mus, National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Vahit Kirisci.

Earlier in the day, Mohamud visited Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, and laid a wreath. “Being a supreme commander leading the Turkish nation in the difficult days of history has made you a torch for the Turkish nation on this path to peace,” he wrote in the visitors’ book.

Prior to going to Ankara, the Somali president met with Somali soldiers receiving commando training in the western province of Isparta. “I met some great future Somali military officers and leaders and I am proud of them all,” he wrote on Twitter. “We are grateful to Turkiye for this valuable security assistance.”

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