Erdogan urges Somalis to establish national consensus

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday received Prime Minister of Somalia's Provisional Government Abdiweli Mohammed Ali in Istanbul. Speaking at a joint press conference following their meeting, Erdogan said that "Somalia's problems could be solved by formulas of the Somali people". Turkey considers Somalia a strategic ally and will continue solidarity in the fields of economy, commerce, culture, and politics with determination in the future, Erdogan stressed. Touching on the transition period in Somalia, Erdogan said that this period would end on August 20 and, by then, Somalia would have a constitution, parliament and president. We support all initiatives that would help establish a national consensus in Somalia, Erdogan stressed. Turkey's Istanbul province will host the Second Istanbul Somali Conference on June 1 in close cooperation with the United Nations. Representatives from 55 countries and international organizations will attend the conference.