Ambassador Mehmet Yilmaz, Turkey’s Ambassador to Somalia, has announced his country’s plan to train 30 percent of government troops.
On Tuesday, Ambassador Yilmaz said the government of Turkey would continue to train one out of every three soldiers in Somalia.
He said this was part of Turkey’s efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations with Somalia.
Yilmaz made this announcement during an interview with Anadolu Agency. In the interview, he mentioned multilateral relations the two countries enjoy with each other.
He also cited the many projects that Turkey continues to invest in around Somalia ranging from health, education, and the military.
Ambassador Yilmaz highlighted the deep-rooted historical ties that Somalia and Turkey enjoy.
He reminded Somalis of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Somalia in 2011, which took place at a time when the country was grappling with one of the worst droughts in its history.
At the time, Erdogan was the first leader from a non-African nation to visit Somalia in over two decades.