Since beginning operations in Somalia in 2011, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has implemented more than 500 projects, making significant contributions to the country’s development across multiple sectors, including health, agriculture, education and infrastructure.
TIKA Somalia Program Coordinator Zafer Eşki outlined the agency’s activities, emphasizing the focus on sustainable development and long-term impact. “Since 2011, we have carried out more than 500 projects in Somalia, particularly targeting health and agriculture, to promote sustainable development,” Eşki said.
Eşki highlighted one of TIKA’s most important initiatives, Zemzem University. He explained: “Agriculture is one of the key factors in Somalia’s development. In 2012, TIKA, in cooperation with the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), established a modest agricultural school. This school was later transformed into Zemzem University in 2014. Today, Zemzem University serves as a milestone for agricultural activities in Somalia and its graduates now occupy various roles within the country’s agricultural sector.”
Eşki added that TIKA has carried out projects of varying scale, ranging from health services to administrative and civil infrastructure, as well as agriculture and education. He cited examples such as the asphalt work completed on the capital, Mogadishu’s key roads, covering approximately 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) of major arteries.
He also recalled that TIKA constructed the TÜRKSOM Military Training Base and that the agency carried out the furnishing of the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital. “When we first began operations in Somalia after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s historic visit in 2011, we responded to the large-scale famine caused by drought. Over time, it became clear that sustainable and technical assistance would be essential for Somalia’s long-term development,” Eşki explained.
Eşki stressed the importance of vocational training, particularly given the high youth unemployment rate in Somalia. “The SANCO Disabled Education Center is especially significant for us. We established workshops in sewing, makeup and henna tattooing to help disabled individuals gain vocational skills and achieve economic independence. These training programs enable participants to generate income and gain social integration. For women, learning henna tattooing, a common local practice, allows disabled women to earn their own income, while sewing workshops provide similar opportunities for both men and women,” he said.
In collaboration with other institutions, TIKA also supports Turkish language education. The Şehit Ömer Halisdemir Turkish class was established at an orphanage for children of Somali police personnel. “Through Turkish lessons provided by the Yunus Emre Institute, these orphaned children gain access to the educational opportunities offered by our country,” Eşki said.
He further noted that over the years, TIKA has carried out numerous projects to improve the capacities of schools and enhance their physical conditions, ensuring better learning environments across Somalia.
Eşki emphasized that TIKA’s mission in Somalia goes beyond short-term aid, focusing instead on sustainable development and empowering local communities. By combining infrastructure development, education, vocational training and health initiatives, TIKA aims to support Somalia in building a stronger, self-sufficient future.
