Somalia’s ports minister has urged politicians seeking power to pursue elections rather than armed conflict, saying the country wants to build a democratic system in which the future is determined by the will of the people.
Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur praised Türkiye’s long-standing support for Somalia, describing it as unmatched among international partners.
“There was an international presence in Somalia, but there was no one like Türkiye, which has provided multidimensional support for Somalia’s development,” Nur said Wednesday at a panel hosted by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in Ankara on Türkiye-Somalia relations and regional developments.
He said the arrival of the Cagri Bey drilling ship had strengthened public confidence and that challenges in the economy and fisheries sector could be overcome, further reinforcing ties.
Addressing electoral reforms, Nur said Somalia is transitioning into a “one person, one vote” system after decades of indirect clan-based elections.
Somalia has 275 members of parliament, he noted, explaining that under the previous 4.5 clan-sharing formula, clan elders selected lawmakers without direct public participation, while parliament elected the president, who then appointed the prime minister.
Nur said reforms introduced in 2016 expanded participation by allowing 51 clan representatives to elect lawmakers, a figure that increased to 101 in 2022.
The latest reforms, he added, are intended to enable citizens to participate directly in politics while the country continues its fight against terrorism.
Disinformation ‘to portray Somalia negatively’
He also accused some countries of financing disinformation campaigns targeting Somalia.
“Some countries are paying for disinformation campaigns to portray Somalia negatively,” he said.
Nur said positive developments in trade and security receive little international attention.
“There has been a major improvement in security. They do not report the positive developments, but when there is a small negative incident, they exaggerate it,” he said.
On offshore energy exploration, Nur said Somalia had previously signed agreements with Western companies that produced no results, while its agreement with Türkiye covers three offshore blocks.
He said the Oruc Reis and Cagri Bey vessels are continuing operations off Somalia’s coast, with Türkiye providing security for the ships, transferring technology and investing in the country.
Rejecting allegations that Türkiye is exploiting Somalia’s natural resources, Nur said Turkish investments would benefit not only Somalia but the wider East African region.
He also dismissed claims that Türkiye would receive only a 5% share of oil extracted from Somali waters as “disinformation,” saying energy experts had been invited to examine the agreement and demonstrate that the allegations were baseless.
Opponents supported by some states
Nur said opponents of the “one person, one vote” system were backed by foreign states.
“Some politicians who fail to see the future oppose it. They are also supported by some states,” he said.
Noting that municipal elections in Mogadishu concluded without security problems, Nur said Somalia has moved into regional elections, after which lawmakers will elect regional leaders.
He accused two opposition leaders in Mogadishu of attempting to create instability by appearing with several dozen armed supporters, adding that some media outlets used the footage to create the impression that Somalia was descending into chaos.
The group dispersed shortly afterward without incident, and the Somali public did not support the actions, according to Nur.
He stressed that those seeking political power should now “choose the ballot box, not war.”
“We want to move to a system in which Somalia’s future is shaped by the decisions of its people,” he said, acknowledging that the transition would not be easy but describing the model as tested and viable.
Importance of connectivity
Highlighting the importance of connectivity, Nur said improving maritime transport has been one of his ministry’s priorities.
He said shipments between Türkiye and Somalia previously took around 60 days through third countries, but the introduction of a direct cargo route has reduced transit times to 25-30 days.
Goods exported from Türkiye to Somalia will no longer require transshipment through other ports, while rising demand has already increased the number of commercial voyages between the two countries.
Nur also claimed that Somalia’s oil potential became a factor when the al-Shabaab terror group intensified attacks in February 2025, alleging that disinformation campaigns were driven by major powers seeking to prevent new countries or companies from entering the sector.
He also claimed that terrorism had been instrumentalized during that period but said the effort ultimately failed with Türkiye’s support.