Somalia's ports minister said Thursday that establishing direct maritime shipping routes with Türkiye has become a strategic necessity amid expanding trade and deepening bilateral ties.
Speaking to Anadolu on the sidelines of the 2nd Transport Ministers Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Somali Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said commercial exchanges between the two countries have exceeded the capacity of current logistics arrangements.
"The current level of trade between Somalia and Türkiye has moved beyond the present logistics structure," Nur said, adding that direct sea lines would reduce costs, shorten delivery times and increase overall trade volume.
The conference brought together transport ministers from OIC member states to discuss connectivity and infrastructure cooperation. Nur said it was meaningful to address transport links in a city that has historically connected continents, civilizations and trade routes.
He said the conference theme extends beyond technical infrastructure to focus on solidarity, shared prosperity and strategic resilience at a time when global supply chains remain fragile and alternative trade corridors are being reshaped.
Ports and logistics networks, he said, have become central elements of economic security.
-Somalia's geostrategic role
Highlighting Somalia's geostrategic position, Nur said the country serves as a natural bridge between Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, South Asia and the Indian Ocean basin.
"The security of global trade is directly linked to the security of Somalia's coasts," he said, noting that stability in the Horn of Africa is essential to ensuring security in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean regions.
Nur said Somalia's ports play not only a national role but also serve landlocked countries in East Africa. Expanding port capacity, he added, is strategically important for Somalia's development as well as for regional economic integration and supply chain resilience.
He said feasibility studies for the New Mogadishu Port Project have been completed and that the initiative has entered the tender phase. The project aims to transform regional logistics capacity, and he invited investors and private sector representatives to contribute to Somalia's port development.
-Expanding strategic partnership with Türkiye
On bilateral ties, Nur said relations with Türkiye have evolved from humanitarian cooperation into a strategic partnership covering defense, energy, education, infrastructure, fisheries, space and maritime sectors.
He described President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 2011 visit to Mogadishu as a historic turning point, calling it a strong expression of solidarity during a difficult period for Somalia.
Nur said that beyond increasing trade, direct maritime links with Türkiye would also facilitate Ankara's access to landlocked countries in East Africa. He said technical and diplomatic efforts toward this goal are ongoing.
Somalia seeks to act as a complementary, rather than competing, player in global trade, Nur said, outlining a maritime and transport vision focused on enhancing connectivity, strengthening resilience and promoting regional prosperity.
