Saturday, February 23, 2013
By ABDULKADIR KHALIF
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon briefing the media in his Mogadishu office in the presence of Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, on February 23, 2013. PHOTO | ABDULKADIR KHALIF
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag arrived in Mogadishu on Saturday to inspect development projects funded by his government in the Somali capital.
The projects include Digfer General Hospital and the Marine Institute which are being rebuilt. Other projects under development include medical facilities, schools, universities and a concrete plant for restoration of dilapidated road infrastructure.
Mr Bozdag, who was accompanied by the Turkish Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz, also paid a courtesy call on Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud at Villa Somalia, his official residence.
President Mohamoud expressed gratitude for Turkey’s humanitarian and development assistance to Somalia.
“Turkey has shown its international partners what it is possible to do operationally here (in Somalia) –in terms of humanitarian assistance, business, infrastructure, development and many areas,” commented Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had himself paid a visit to Mogadishu at the height of the August 2011 Horn of Africa famine and had undertaken to help with development projects in Somalia.
These days, Turkish agencies, led by the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency, are running diverse projects in Mogadishu.
As deputy prime minister, Mr Bozdag has visited Somalia on several occasions.