Istanbul hosts Turkey-Somalia Business Forum
President Erdogan opened Turkey-Somalia Business Forum in Istanbul
Istanbul (IINA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened here on Tuesday the 6th High Level Turkey-Somalia Business Partnership Forum. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, cabinet ministers and members of parliament were among the dignitaries attended the opening session, Anadolu Agency reported.
The two-day forum aims at establishing new and strong ties among the peoples of Turkey and Somalia and other Africa countries.
Delegates from 50 countries, international agencies and UN bodies in Istanbul are taking part in the event.
Turkish presidency spokesman Ibrahim Kalin underlined the importance of the business forum as part of Turkey’s engagement in Africa, which was adopted in 1998.
Kalin stressed that the sixth Turkey-Somalia Business Forum is Ankara’s latest in comprehensive aid activities towards Somalia. He added that the visit by President Erdogan, when he was prime minister in 2011, to Somalia as drought and high insecurity were plaguing the country “was a milestone in modern Somalia’s history”.
“Since 2011, Turkey has made a concentrated effort to provide the Somali people’s basic needs, [including] security, education, health, institutional capacity building, the building of state institutions, roads, ports, airports, fisheries and energy,” Kalin said.
“Compared with 2011, today, Somalia is in much better position,” Kalin added. He also mentioned Turkish doctors’ charity programs in Somalia.
“Turkish doctors have offered health services to half a million Somalis, so far,” Kalin said.
According to Kalin’s statement, the total amount of Turkish aid for Somalia thus far has reached $500 million. However Kalin added that 40 percent of the Somalia’s population still needs humanitarian aid.
According to United Nations estimates, 857,000 people inside Somalia are currently “in crisis and emergency conditions”, while almost 2 million Somalis suffer from food insecurity. Another 1 million are refugees in neighboring countries.