Turkish FM:We Offer a facilitating and mediating role in the talks between Somalia and Somaliland

By: Jama Farah, Horndiplomat Contributor 

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attends the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Somalia Contact Group meeting in Doha.

Mevlut Cavusoglu’s remarks said that his government offers a facilitating and mediating role in the talks between Somalia and Somaliland

“We offer a facilitating and mediating role in the negotiations between Somalia and Somaliland,” he said

On December 30, 2018, The Turkey Government has appointed Dr Olgan Bekar, former Turkey Ambassador a to Somalia as Turkey’s new Special Envoy to Somalia and Somaliland talks.

The talks which the Turkish government hosted collapsed on March 2015 and all attempts to revive the stalled negotiation have not been achieved.

The talks began in 2012 when the London Conference on Somalia, held at Lancaster House on February resulted in a communiqué. Pre-talks communique emphasised “the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and Somalia’.
The Somaliland-Somalia hit a deadlock several times over technical issues. Both Somalia and Somaliland governments are keen to resume talks.

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