Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the son of Somalia’s incumbent president, who left Türkiye after being involved in an accident that killed a motorcycle driver in Istanbul, attended the hearing over the man’s death.
The hearing took place at a courthouse in Istanbul and Mohamud admitted that he was behind the wheel when the accident occurred.
Noting that he was driving behind a speeding motorcycle after exiting the Eurasia Tunnel, Mohamud claimed that the motorcycle stopped out of nowhere and could not stop even though he hit the brakes.
In its interim decision, the court ruled for Mohamud’s release and the hearing was adjourned to Jan. 16.
Mohamud was driving a Somali consulate car on Nov. 30 when he hit a motorcycle courier. The courier, Yunus Emre Göçer, died about one week after he was seriously injured in the incident. Mohamud left the country on Dec. 2 after a police interrogation. The incident sparked public outcry, and authorities later announced that the police officers first interrogating him were investigated for possible negligence in letting him go. Türkiye then issued an arrest warrant for Mohamud after Göçer’s death.
Ankara, which has good ties with Somalia, has held meetings with Somali judicial authorities and sought information on using a diplomatic car.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his 40-year-old son did not flee Türkiye. He said he had advised him to return and present himself to court. The president said the younger Mohamud, a doctor, stayed at the scene of the crash and remained in Istanbul for several days afterward.
He also extended his sympathy to Göçer’s family earlier this month.
“We share with them the grief of their loss. We are sorry for their loss,” he said.
Türkiye has built close ties with Somalia since 2011, when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, then prime minister, visited the East African nation in a show of support as Somalis suffered from severe drought. Türkiye later undertook infrastructure projects and donated relief to Somalia. It also opened a military base in Somalia, where it has trained officers and police.
