Somali diplomat on his time in 1980s Turkey
Hussein Mohamed, a former Somali diplomat who served in Turkey in the mid-1980s, speaks about his time there and the ties between Mogadishu and Ankara during that era.
Posts here will unfortunately be less frequent, but I hope they will be interesting and impactful when they do appear. This instalment includes an interview with Hussein Mohamed, a former Somali diplomat and writer who was posted to Turkey in the mid-1980s.
The historical relations between Somalia and Turkey are of interest to some now due to Turkey’s deep involvement in Somalia. Just last week, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said Somalia could be the site of a future spaceport.
As I mentioned in a previous post, most accounts of this history tell a story that dates back to the 16th century, when combined Ottoman-Somali efforts thwarted a Portuguese attempt to forcefully enter the Red Sea and threaten the Hijaz region, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina. That would have been a huge blow to the prestige of the Sublime Porte and would have happened over the heads of thousands of Somalis whose sultanates had been trying to fend Portugal further down the Swahili coast. We usually jump from here to the era in which Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took significant steps to get relations between Ankara and Mogadishu moving after 2011, at best briefly mentioning the late 1980s, when Somalia broke away from the Soviet orbit and turned to the west. I’ve attempted to plug a part of that gap by sharing archival articles from Turkish newspapers of then-president Siad Barre’s visit to Turkey in 1987, three years before his fall. There, he met Turgut Özal, a politician and economist, and Kenan Evren, a military leader, the two men most responsible for shaping Turkey’s political, economic, and military landscape in the 1980s and 1990s.
This first conversation with Mohamed provides a concise and light overview of his impressions of Turkey and what relations were like between the two countries back then. I hope to chat with him again and pursue some of the threads in this interview in further detail.
Faisal Ali: When did you arrive in Ankara?
Hussein Mohamed: In March 1985, I embarked on my first international assignment as a diplomat, marking a significant milestone in my career. This experience was both an exciting and formative chapter, laying the groundwork for my understanding of diplomacy abroad. The anticipation of navigating a new cultural, political, and professional landscape made my arrival in Ankara particularly memorable.
FA: How much did you know about the country before taking the position?
HM: My initial knowledge of Turkey was quite general, typical for diplomats awaiting foreign assignments. Upon confirmation of my posting, I proactively sought insights into the nation I was to serve. A meeting with the first secretary and deputy head of mission at the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu proved valuable. He welcomed me warmly, offering both a detailed briefing and informative materials that enhanced my understanding of Turkey. Notably, his enthusiasm about my assignment was heartening, as he appreciated my work in protocol. I vividly recall how genuinely happy he was about my posting, as he knew me personally as a protocol officer. This encounter underscored the importance of pre-departure orientation and the collegiality among diplomatic professionals.
Any new posting abroad was generally appreciated by foreign ministry personnel. Foreign postings are often celebrated within the diplomatic community, though their quality can vary based on living conditions and amenities. Of course, some destinations are much better than others in terms of the availability of rental facilities, living conditions, cost of living, and so forth. To illustrate this, while conversing with the Turkish diplomat about my forthcoming post, I inquired about his experience in Mogadishu, casually asking how he found living there as a junior diplomat. His answer amazed me: he recounted how fortunate he was compared to his colleague serving with the Turkish permanent mission at the UN headquarters in New York City. As he explained, he was residing in a massive villa in an affluent area of Mogadishu, complete with a closed garage and separate quarters for domestic staff.
Just imagine or compare that with his colleague, who had to contend with living in a small studio flat—forget about a garage or domestic staff.
FA: How were you received in Turkey?
HM: My reception in Turkey was excellent. The head of the Somali mission, the late ambassador Osman Jama, nicknamed Zaylici, and the other diplomatic personnel at the Somali embassy were graciously welcoming. I would particularly like to mention my colleague Hassan M. Ahmed, nicknamed Hassan Turki, a seasoned diplomat who had served in places such as Bonn (Germany), Ottawa (Canada), and at the permanent mission of Somalia to the UN in New York. He was a constant source of knowledge and experience. Although I did not know them beforehand, I came to appreciate their honesty, integrity, and dedication to serving the country we all belonged to—Somalia. This warm reception not only facilitated my adjustment but also reinforced the collective spirit of diplomatic service.
FA: Why did Somalia want to improve relations with Turkey?
HM: Somalia’s diplomatic pivot towards Turkey reflected a strategic recalibration following its 1977–78 Ogaden War defeat and the subsequent severance of ties with the Soviet Union. In seeking closer ties with NATO members and non-Arab Muslim nations, Turkey emerged as a key partner alongside Iran and Pakistan. This realignment aimed to bolster economic, educational, and defence collaborations, highlighting Somalia's pursuit of diversified alliances in a post-Cold War context.
Somalia embarked on a rapprochement policy with the Western world, particularly the United States, to whom it leased the former Soviet-operated Berbera Naval Base. Turkey was one of three Muslim nations with which Somalia began to enhance ties outside the Arab League members—the other two being the Imperial State of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
FA: What kind of relationship was Somalia expecting from Turkey, and what types of assistance was it seeking?
HM: The Somalia–Turkey partnership yielded tangible benefits, particularly in education and defence. Turkey annually allocated ten university scholarships to Somali students, alongside specialised training programmes for Somali medical doctors. Additionally, the Turkish defence ministry supported Somalia’s efforts to modernise its armed forces. These initiatives not only strengthened bilateral relations but also underscored Turkey’s commitment to Somalia’s development during this period.
FA: What were your impressions of Turkey at the time, given that it was experiencing its own turbulent period, including the third military coup?
HM: My impression was a positive one. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Turgut Özal of the Motherland Party, an economy that supported private capital and enterprise was initiated, and Turkey seemed to be heading in the right direction. However, while one might appreciate any gains, one should also be prepared for their potential negative consequences. From my limited perspective, living conditions were relatively affordable in early 1985. One US dollar was worth 500 TL in April 1985, which was enough to pay for a decent meal in a restaurant. However, within two years, the cost of dining out had nearly tripled.
It was the third military coup that occurred in 1980, prompted by the continued instability of a stagnating economy and weak successive governments in the late 1970s. After violent clashes in the streets of major cities became a daily occurrence, the military intervened, leading to the coup. Their leader, General Kenan Evren, who was the military commander at the time, later became president of the republic through a referendum. Nevertheless, the military handed over power to a civilian government in 1983.
FA: Why do you think this period of Turkish-Somali cooperation is so often overlooked?
HM: I think this period of Turko-Somali cooperation is often forgotten due to the anarchy that our nation went through after the collapse of the central government in early 1991, which wiped out all the archival records of the bilateral relations Somalia had with Turkey. Moreover, those of us who had the opportunity to receive a Turkish university education in the name of the Somali nation chose to work and live comfortably in western countries and Gulf nations, rather than repaying the debt by doing national service.
In reflecting on this, I believe it is imperative to critically analyse and address these patterns to ensure that future generations of Somali students abroad are not only given opportunities but are also guided and encouraged to invest their skills in the nation’s reconstruction and prosperity.
I would also like to mention that my old classmate and close friend, Mohamed Ibrahim, a former Somali government Minister of Telecommunications and now a researcher at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, is working on a book that will be published soon. We will cover the Somali diplomatic deficit and ways to rectify it. Yusuf Hassan Ibrahim, aka Yusuf Dheeg (AUN), who passed away recently, among others, was interviewed, and their thoughts will be shared in this book. More on our work in this area can be found at somalia.substack.com.