On Thursday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Türkiye’s plan to hold separate discussions with Ethiopia and Somalia before organizing new negotiations to resolve a dispute over Ethiopia’s agreement to lease a stretch of coastline from Somaliland.
Türkiye had previously hosted two rounds of talks between the East African nations to mend their relations. A planned third round, set to occur in Ankara on Tuesday, was canceled.
The dispute began in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland in exchange for recognizing its independence. This agreement was deemed illegal by Mogadishu, leading to the expulsion of the Ethiopian ambassador and threats to remove thousands of Ethiopian troops assisting in the fight against Islamist insurgents.
Fidan told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Türkiye continues to engage with both Somalia and Ethiopia at various levels and expressed optimism about finding a resolution. He noted that the parties had “converged to a certain point” during the Ankara talks.
Rather than holding direct talks between the sides, which have not met face-to-face, Türkiye aims to facilitate one-on-one meetings to align their positions before reconvening. Fidan also mentioned that “lessons” were learned from the initial rounds of negotiations.
