Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım met with his Somali counterpart Hassan Ali Khayre during a one-hour meeting to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international issues on Thursday.
Yıldırım hosted Khayre at the Çankaya Palace in Turkey’s capital in Khayre’s first official visit to Turkey.
“Primarily in Somalia, domestic disturbances in northern Africa, Yemen and the Middle East, are causing problems for the future. Turkey is strengthening its cooperation with Somalia and also assisting in humanitarian projects. Somalia and Turkey are allies, and Turkey will continue to give all kinds of support to ensure the future of our Somali brothers,” Yıldırım said.
“As the term president of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, Turkey has made the necessary suggestions regarding Somalia’s future and development to member countries,” he added.
Khayre arrived in Turkey on Wednesday and the visit is scheduled to last until Friday. He will meet Somali citizens being treated in Turkey following an Oct. 14 truck bomb which killed at least 358 people and injured 228 others in Mogadishu.
Thirty-five Somalis, including three children, injured in the truck bombing were airlifted to Turkey for medical treatment.
