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ANKARA,
April 18, 2009 Turkey will assist Somalia in establishing and training
its security forces after years of bloody conflict and political turmoil
in the African country, President Abdullah Gul said Friday.
“Turkey will provide support to Somalia in establishing and training its
security forces and in meeting their needs,” Gul said after talks with
visiting Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
Ankara would also help to improve health services and education in the
country, he said.
Ahmed was elected president in January following UN-brokered
reconciliation talks aimed at stabilizing a country that had had no
effective central authority since civil war erupted in 1991.
The Somali leader spoke of “great progress and improvement” in his
country in recent months, urging more international support for
reconstruction efforts.
“We will definitely not allow… unrest in Somalia again,” he said.
Ahmed expressed “regret” for the spate of piracy attacks off Somalia,
which have prompted the international community, including Turkey, to
deploy war ships in the region to protect commercial vessels.
“This problem can be resolved inside the country, but we also need the
support of the international community,” he said.
An international meeting, sponsored by the United Nations and the
European Union, is to be held next week in Brussels with the aim of
boosting aid to Somalia.
Source: AFP
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