President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Ethiopia and Somalia after agreeing to reach a consensus following a series of discussions mediated by Türkiye, to end their dispute.
Erdoğan spoke in a joint news conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud following discussions with both leaders in the capital Ankara on Wednesday.
He announced that Somalia and Ethiopia agreed on a joint declaration and that a process has been launched for a fresh start between the two countries.
According to the Ethiopia-Somalia Ankara Declaration, the two parties decided to launch technical negotiations facilitated by Türkiye by the end of February 2025 and conclude them within four months. They also agreed to abandon differences of opinion and contentious issues and to move decisively toward common prosperity.
The two countries affirmed respect for Somalia's territorial integrity while recognizing potential benefits Ethiopia may gain from secure access to the sea.
Both African leaders praised Ankara's mediation efforts. For his part, the Ethiopian prime minister hailed Türkiye for its efforts in resolving the Somalia-Ethiopia conflict during the peace talks, while the Somalian president praised Türkiye's efforts in resolving perennial territorial and political conflict between the two countries.
Earlier on Wednesday, Erdoğan held separate talks with the Ethiopian and Somali leaders at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
Ties between Ethiopia and Somalia have worsened since Ethiopia struck a deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland on Jan. 1 to use its Red Sea port of Berbera. Türkiye has been working to end tensions between the two Horn of Africa countries. Ethiopia lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s after the Eritrean War of Independence, which lasted from 1961 to 1991. In 1991, Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia, leading to the establishment of two separate nations. The separation resulted in Ethiopia losing direct access to the Red Sea and key ports. Ethiopia has since been landlocked, affecting its ability to conduct efficient maritime trade.
Ethiopia made an accord in January with Somaliland that unilaterally broke away from Somalia. Ethiopia gained access to the sea but recognized the territory's independence, setting off a new crisis with its neighbor. The two countries, which have fought two wars in the past century, agreed in March to resolve their quarrel.
