Turkey Mediating Between Government and Opposition

Mogadishu — The international community has expressed strong concern over the recent clashes in Mogadishu, issuing continuous calls for the political factions in the country to calm the situation and resolve their disputes through dialogue and understanding. The military movements and confrontations in the capital have created great fear among the residents of Mogadishu, as international partners of Somalia have warned the various parties to refrain from actions that could undermine the stability of the country.

While the situation is tense, a large delegation from the Turkish government is in Mogadishu, led by the Deputy Chief of Intelligence of that country. This delegation has held sensitive meetings with opposition leaders and government officials, aiming to de-escalate the ongoing tensions and mediate between the conflicting parties regarding the political process in the country. However, reports from these meetings indicate that there have been no official results achieved so far from the efforts of the Turkish government delegation.

On the other hand, this crisis has sparked widespread discussion about Turkey's role within Somalia. The opposition has accused the Turkish government of siding with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. These accusations are based on the claim that the weapons provided by the Turkish government to the Somali government and the special forces it has trained (Gorgor) are being used in the fight and pressure against opposition forces, which has now become a barrier to Turkey's mediation efforts.