Somaliland: Turkey Hosts President Silanyo for Bi-lateral Talks

0

VP Sayli and Service commanders see off President Silanyo at Egal AirportBy: Yusuf M Hasan

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The president, Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, is set to consolidate bi-lateral relations with Turkey.

Following an official invitation from the Turkish premiere Hon Recep Tayyip Erdogan the president of Somaliland left the country this afternoon on his way to Turkey where he shall link with a three member ministerial delegation for official discussions with his hosts.

Dr Silanyo who addressed the press at the Egal international Airport Hargeisa VIP Lounge informed that his visit which is preceded by a three member ministerial delegation pertains to the government’s diplomatic efforts geared towards the quest for recognition as a sovereign nation.

The head of state who will link with a thre member delegation already in Turkey is accompanied by first lady Amina weris, Preidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali and youthful minister of Resettlement, Rehabilitation and National Reconstruction Dr Suleiman Isse Ahmed “Hagaltosie” who is making his maiden foreign trip as a minister

The president’s departure and subsequent visit follows a diplomatic mission undertaken in Turkey by a government delegation led by Somaliland’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Mohamed A Omar and composed of the minister of energy Eng. Hussein A Duale and Education Minister Hon Zamzam Abdi Aden.

The three members Ministerial delegation have been in the Turkish capital Ankara, where it engaged in earnest diplomatic and protocol arrangement for the presidential visit which is the first of its kind for a Somaliland head of state.

Through the good offices of the Turkish premiere the visit which seem to have all the hallmarks of a state visit, will go down in history as being, politically and diplomatically speaking, the most prestigious a Somaliland president has ever made since 1991.

Political commentators say that the meeting between the Turkish Prime Minister, a world leader, and President Silanyo, a leader of an unrecognized country, is a great achievement for Somaliland’s diplomacy and foreign policy and perhaps that is why the Somaliland foreign Minister went to Turkey ahead of the president’s visit to set up the stage for the visit and to arrange high level meetings with the Turkish leadership.

In the course of Dr Silanyo’s tour of several days Topics on agenda for discussion with Turkish officials include Development assistance, investment, regional politics, and Somaliland/Somali talks as well as planned Turkish airline flights to Somaliland among others.

According to the minister of foreign affairs Dr. Mohamed A Omar the delegation that arrived in Ankara on the 8th March has apart from making necessary preparations for the president’s visit, held talks with various officials in Turkey including the country’s ministers of Energy, Education, foreign affairs, Development among others.

For the past two years the Turkish government of premiere Erdogan has seen a surge in relations with the two Horn of Africa countries of Somalia and Somaliland where Ankara has invested a large amount of cash through interventions in various development and economic sectors.