Turkey has begun mediating between Somalia and Ethiopia over a port deal that Addis Ababa signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland earlier this year, according to four officials familiar with the matter.
The talks are the latest attempt to mend diplomatic ties between the East African neighbours, whose relations deteriorated in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20km of coastline to Somaliland in exchange for recognising its independence.
Mogadishu called the deal illegal and retaliated by expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and threatening to expel the thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country to help fight Islamist insurgents.
Spokespeople for the Somali government, Turkish Foreign Ministry and Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, government and intelligence services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A spokesman for Somaliland, which has struggled to gain international recognition although it governs itself and has enjoyed comparable peace and stability since declaring independence in 1991, said: he was not involved in the talks.
The goal of the negotiations was unclear and expectations for a resolution were low, two of the officials said.
“Despite rumours that Somalia has softened its position by refusing to engage in dialogue until Ethiopia withdraws from the agreement, it seems unlikely that a solution will be found,” one said.
“I don’t see a solution and I don’t expect these talks to lead to much.
Turkey has become a close ally of the Somali government since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first visited Mogadishu in 2011, where he trained security forces and provided development aid.
The two countries signed a defense pact in February, under which Ankara will provide maritime security support to Somalia to help the African country defend its territorial waters.
Turkey built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and offered scholarships for Somalis to study in Turkey. In return, it secured a foothold in Africa and on a vital global shipping route.
