SOUTH–SOUTH COOPERATION AND PEACEBUILDING: TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN SOMALIA

Turkey has become a critical partner for the Somali Federal Government (SFG), providing significant humanitarian aid, military training, and private investment. While Turkish interventions in the Mogadishu airport and seaport have substantially increased government revenues, the briefing argues that this approach risks undermining peace by favoring specific clans and bolstering an unaccountable central government. The document highlights a tension between Turkey's goal of strengthening the state and the need for an inclusive political settlement that avoids zero-sum clan dynamics.

• Turkey's engagement in Somalia aligns with South-South cooperation (SSC) principles by prioritizing solidarity and mutual benefit, avoiding political conditions, and delivering aid directly to beneficiaries without middlemen.
• Turkish public-private partnerships (PPPs) at the Mogadishu airport and seaport have significantly boosted the Somali Federal Government's (SFG) domestic revenue, with these two sources now reportedly accounting for nearly 80% of such revenue.
• The focus on revenue generation through the Mogadishu ports may inadvertently fuel divisive patronage networks and erode the political settlement, as these ports have traditionally been controlled by the president's Hawiye clan.
• Turkish private sector investment in Somalia grew from negligible levels in 2010 to $100 million in 2015, while exports rose from $3.5 million in 2009 to $72 million in 2015, primarily in foodstuffs and construction materials.
• Turkey has actively supported security sector reform (SSR) through a $5 million trust fund, training Somali officers in Turkey, and planning a military camp in Mogadishu to train approximately 1,500 Somalis annually starting in early 2017.
• Turkey's peacebuilding efforts are criticized for being biased toward the interests of the central government in Mogadishu and for lacking coordination with other donors, reflecting a strong preference for bilateralism.

APA

STEARNS, J., & SUCUOGLU, G. (2017). SOUTH–SOUTH COOPERATION AND PEACEBUILDING: TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN SOMALIA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Policy-Insights-43.pdf

Chicago

STEARNS, JASON, and GIZEM SUCUOGLU. SOUTH–SOUTH COOPERATION AND PEACEBUILDING: TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN SOMALIA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Policy-Insights-43.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=STEARNS |first1=JASON |last2=SUCUOGLU |first2=GIZEM |title=SOUTH–SOUTH COOPERATION AND PEACEBUILDING: TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN SOMALIA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=April 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Policy-Insights-43.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stearns2017southsouth, author = {STEARNS, JASON and SUCUOGLU, GIZEM}, title = {{SOUTH–SOUTH COOPERATION AND PEACEBUILDING: TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN SOMALIA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Policy-Insights-43.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }