President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye hosted President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Ankara on December 11, 2024.
The meeting was held in a cordial environment, encouraging an open and constructive discussion.
The Somalian and Ethiopian leaders reaffirmed their respect for and commitment to each other's sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as to the principles enshrined in international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
In the spirit of friendship and mutual respect, the Parties agree to set aside their discrepancies and disputes and to move forward with resolve and collaboration towards shared prosperity.
Somalia recognises the military casualties of Ethiopia in African Union Operations.
The Parties acknowledge the numerous potential advantages that could arise from Ethiopia's secure access to and from the sea while respecting the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
They further agree to closely collaborate in establishing mutually beneficial commercial agreements through bilateral contracts, leases, and similar arrangements, ensuring the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has reliable, secure, and sustainable access to and from the sea under the sovereign jurisdiction of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
In alignment with these objectives and under the facilitation of Türkiye, the parties agree to initiate technical negotiations in goodwill by the end of February 2025, with the aim of concluding and signing an agreement within four months.
The parties welcome Türkiye's support in fulfilling these commitments and are committed to resolving any disagreements on the interpretation and implementation of these commitments peacefully through dialogue and, where necessary, with Türkiye's support.
Both parties express their gratitude to His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, for this initiative and continued commitment to the process.
Statement by Head of Communications Altun on the "Ankara Declaration"
Presidency's Head of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, made statements on his social media account regarding the Ankara Declaration by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia issued with the mediation of the Republic of Türkiye. In his post, Head of Communications Altun said:
The Ankara Declaration signed between the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, facilitated by Türkiye, has been one of the best examples of the peace diplomacy conducted by Türkiye under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Our peaceful diplomatic initiatives and multidimensional mediation efforts across various regions make significant contributions to global peace.
The Ankara Declaration signed between Somalia and Ethiopia is also a significant manifestation of Türkiye's trusted position among the peoples and states of Africa.
The contributions of our President's leader-to-leader diplomacy have made and will make to sustainable peace on both regional and global scales are highly appreciated by the entire world, opening doors to new hopes and opportunities for humanity.
We hope that this agreement reached between Somalia and Ethiopia through the mediation of Türkiye will bring peace, calm, and stability to the whole region, the continent, and our world, particularly to the two friendly countries.