The Ethiopian Embassy in Ankara and the Ethiopian Community and Solidarity Association (ETODAD) in Türkiye co-hosted the second Ethiopian Day celebration in Istanbul yesterday.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Adem Mohamed Mahmud, honorary consuls, representatives of civil society organizations and community members attended the event, which showcased Ethiopia’s history, traditions, cuisine, dance performances and poetry recitals.
ETODAD President Ibrahim Abdella said that the event aimed not only to showcase Ethiopia’s cultural diversity but also to strengthen solidarity among the Ethiopian diaspora.
Noting that the diaspora plays a significant role in Ethiopia’s development, Abdella said, "As Ethiopians living in Türkiye, we too must represent our country in the best possible way and contribute to strengthening the friendship between the peoples of the two countries."
Ambassador Mahmud highlighted the long-standing relations between Ethiopia and Türkiye. Pointing out Türkiye’s efforts to secure peace in the Horn of Africa, he emphasized the importance of the Ankara Declaration.
The event also featured a presentation on the latest developments in technology, energy, agriculture and infrastructure investment in Ethiopia. During the presentation, the significance of major projects, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Bishoftu International Airport (BIA), was highlighted.
Straddling a tributary of the Nile River, GERD is a national project of grand scale and a unifying symbol in the country. Inaugurated in 2025, it is also the largest dam by power capacity in Africa, though still outside the top 10 globally.
Construction of BIA began in January 2026 and is expected to be completed by 2030. According to the African Development Bank, BIA, which is located 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, is planned to be Africa’s largest international airport.
The celebration was held for the second time in Türkiye. The inaugural event took place in May 2025 and was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy in Ankara and the Ethiopian community in Türkiye.
Ethiopia-Türkiye relations have strengthened in recent years, particularly as Ankara played a role in easing tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia.
Ethiopia’s deal with the self-declared independent region of Somaliland for the use of ports and access to the sea has triggered a crisis with Somalia. In 2025, Türkiye stepped in and helped the two countries sign the Ankara Declaration by hosting their leaders in the Turkish capital.
Following these developments, Türkiye and Ethiopia increased their trade volume by 5% in 2025, bringing it to $253 million. Türkiye is among the four major investors in the African country.
