Turkey's New Love Affair with Somalia

[Jacaylbaro]

The Kurdish Globe

 

By Abdirahman M. Dirye

 

 

In 1993, the U.S. sent 30,000 troops to Mogadishu seashore to provide relief and protection to thousands of starving Somalis.

 

The Somali crisis took place two decades ago, and the Turkish role in providing aid to the suffering people of Somalia is within recent memory. To many, the Turkish role in relief efforts looked more like token participation rather than genuinely humanitarian concern, despite ordinary Somalis, deep appreciation for the Turkish premier's high-profile visit to Mogadishu during the height of the famine. Many Somali intellectuals looked on Turkey's role with suspicion. Meanwhile, Western nations have been taking Somali refugees in since the crisis, resettling them in their countries and providing amnesty. It is even possible to find resettled Somalis in Saudi Arabia, in spite of the countries horrific human rights record; but in Turkey, it is almost impossible to find a Somali with a Turkish passport or resettled as a refugee, despite the high population of Somalis living there. Somalis are well aware of those who were their friends during their darkest days. "Friends in need are friends indeed", and during the crisis, a number of African nations united to aid in the struggle against Somalia's scourge, Al-Shabab, in order to restore peace and security.

 

In 1993, the U.S. sent 30,000 troops to Mogadishu seashore to provide relief and protection to thousands of starving Somalis. Due to an increasingly complicated security situation, a number of U.S. Marines died in the conflict, drawing the events to world-wide attention. Where was Turkey during this time of crisis, It is quite certain that without AMISOM's sacrifices, the Turkish premier could not have even set foot on Somali soil.

 

The annual expenses of the AMISOM are estimated to be millions of dollars. Turkey seems incapable of providing breakfast for the AU forces struggling to restore law and order in Somalia, while other countries, particularly those from the EU, have, in contrast, assumed an enormous burden of responsibility. Somalis' inflated expectations of Turkey have to be deflated sooner or later, not least because the International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned of a new Turkish love affair with Somalia and questioned its dubious role in post-conflict Somalia. Istanbul has created a false vanguard-image of itself in alleviating Somalia's disasters, while in fact its role is quite minimal; it is in fact the U.S. and the EU that have primarily been keeping millions of Somalis alive through the remittances of their countries. I am not by any means against Turkish aid to my fellow country-men and women, but I feel that they should properly commit to international efforts to build a New Somalia with an effective judiciary system, or otherwise aid in facilitating the split of Somalia into Somaliland and Mogadishu. I also call upon Turkey to cease the politicization of religion in the area to take advantage of Somalis, shallow faith, and instead to make genuine efforts to help the Somali people.

 

Across a number of Muslim countries, Somalis have been gravely mistreated; Saudi Arabia, for example, immediately deports Somali asylum seekers to Mogadishu - the burning city - without providing any opportunity to fly to more stable cities such as Hargeisa or Bosaso. Turkey's behavior is not much better. Somalis are humiliated in no airport more than Istanbul's.

 

Egypt, a country claiming to be devoutly Muslim, has never sent a single Egyptian soldier to provide support in Mogadishu; the only visible Egyptian help comes in the form of Arabic poetry teachers, who can be found in the stable region of Somaliland. Egypt's failure to provide military aid is particularly galling when one considers the idleness of its huge reserve forces, which freely patrol the borders of the State of Israel with nothing more to occupy their time than appearing in front of Israel's high-tech security cameras.

 

Somalia wants to develop business and diplomatic ties with nations from around the world in mutually beneficial projects, without opportunism and exploitation souring relations. In light of Somalia's openness to friendly relations, it is wholly unfair that Turkey exploits the good will of victims whose survival directly depends on feeding centers run by Western NGOs. The survival of the Somali people during the twenty-one years of its struggle would be unthinkable without the generous help of Western nations. It is time for Turkey to contribute as well.

[NGONGE]

^^ That article is all over the place, saaxib. It's badly written and has no point at all (other than attacking Turkey for being Turkey). Not suprised the Kurds printed it though.

[Jacaylbaro]

You don't even need to read when you know it if from Kurds dee ,,,,,

[Chimera]

Pathetic yet amusing, the amount of propaganda he employs is comical. Turkey was part of UNISOM, and there are thousands of Somalis living in Turkey, not to mention around 2000 Somali students, who will return as engineers, architects, agriculturalists, policemen and soldiers.

[Somali philosopher]

No Islamic country sent army to Somalia in 20 years that is why we have sawahilis and Ugandans paid by the west. turkey is opportunist coming in at last minute to gain influence

[Mario B]

Somali philosopher;883100 wrote:

No Islamic country sent army to Somalia in 20 years that is why we have sawahilis and Ugandans paid by the west. turkey is opportunist coming in at last minute to gain influence

Turkey's adventure in Somalia has come about because of it's attempt to forge an independent foreign policy away from Washington and European Union. Most Muslim nations are either vassal states or dictatorship that use their armies to maintain power, Somalia is the last thing in their minds.

 

We should welcome Turkey even though it's true that “Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests.”! So long as it's a mutual partnership then we are will be fine.