Bilateral relations between Turkey and Somalia will gain momentum following the elections in the African country, Turkey's Ambassador to Mogadishu Mehmet Yılmaz said Wednesday.
Noting that Turkey's efforts after the drought in 2011 started to reverse the negative view toward Somalia abroad, Ambassador Yılmaz stated that the efforts in the fields of security, health and education began to produce positive results.
Emphasizing that the doctors who were trained at the Somalia Mogadishu Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital in the capital constitute the country's health infrastructure, Yılmaz said that 5,000 soldiers have been trained at the Turkish military training base so far and 1,000 special operations police have been recruited to the country.
Pointing out that the Turkish private sector is investing more and more in the country and the bilateral trade volume has exceeded $300 million, Yılmaz noted that the mediation process between Somalia and Somaliland will revive with the new government.
Yılmaz underlined that concerns have been resolved with the election process concluding peacefully, adding that he expressed to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a meeting after the election that Turkey will continue to provide support.
Ambassador Yılmaz, whom Mohamud received the day after the election, said: "Somali President Mohamud said that the doors of his country are wide open to Turkey."
Mohamud was elected by Somalia's members of parliament on Sunday in the capital Mogadishu, defeating the outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, who said the Turkish people and government have a lot of impact on Somalia.
"As I said, the Turkish people and the government of Turkey have a lot of impact on Somali people. The support of Turkey has touched the hearts and minds of Somali people and this support was very visible and tangible and saved many many lives throughout Somalia," the new president said.
He said Turkey supports the human capital of Somalia by providing education from primary education all the way to universities.
President-elect Mohamud said Turkey provides high-level training for the Horn of Africa nation's security forces.
"Turkey provides very competent security officers by training not only in Turkey but here in Somalia and equipping, providing all necessary tools to implement what they have learned in Turkey," he said.
He added that Turkey has a "very unique position towards the hearts of Somalia."
A statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that it was pleasing to see that the presidential elections in Somalia held on Sunday have been completed successfully.
"We congratulate H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and wish him success during his tenure," the Foreign Ministry said.
"We attach great importance to the peace and stability of Somalia, with which we have deep-rooted historical ties, and hope that the results of the elections will be auspicious for the friendly and brotherly people of Somalia," it added.
"Turkey will continue to stand by the people of Somalia and to support the Federal Government of Somalia to establish security, stability, and prosperity in the country in this new period."