MOGADISHU, Somalia - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Somali counterpart Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed met Tuesday on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly in New York to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.

In a statement, Mohamed said he had held bilateral meetings with Erdogan. 

“We remain committed to strengthening our Somali-Turkish bond of brotherhood, which has always stood the test of time.”

The Somali presidency affirmed in a statement that the talks were aimed at enhancing Somali-Turkish relations.

Erdogan made his first visit to Somalia in 2011 when the country was facing its worst famine in decades due to climate change.

The Turkish leader drew world attention to the plight of Somalis by visiting famine victims in refugee camps and hospitals, bringing with him Turkish aid.

In 2017, Turkey announced that since 2011, it had sent nearly $1 billion worth of aid to Somalia, which has been battling a civil war, armed militant groups, famine, and droughts.

GAROWE ONLINE