By Shire Abdi - Reporter
Somalia,17 May 2026 – Somali Ports Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur responded on Sunday to comments by former Turkish ambassador Kâni Torun, backing the government’s constitutional reforms and shift to direct elections.
In a statement posted on X, Nur said Somalia had changed significantly from the period when Torun served as ambassador, arguing that the country was now focused on strengthening state institutions and pursuing development projects.
“Today, Somalia is no longer merely a country associated with humanitarian aid,” Abdulkadir said. “Somalia is a nation looking to the future with hope.”
The minister said Somalia, with support from partners including Türkiye, was working on projects in areas including energy, defence and state-building.
His comments came after Torun, a former Turkish ambassador to Somalia and current lawmaker, proposed a 10-point political roadmap aimed at addressing tensions linked to Somalia’s constitutional and electoral disputes.
Torun had called for dialogue, compromise and the appointment of an independent prime minister following what he described as the end of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s constitutional term on May 15.
Abdulkadir said Somalia’s current political realities should not be viewed through what he described as outdated perspectives linked to earlier periods of conflict and instability.
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He also argued that relations between Türkiye and Somalia were conducted at the state level and should not be shaped by individuals without official authority to represent Turkish policy.
The minister defended Somalia’s transition toward direct elections, saying Somali citizens wanted to participate directly in governance through the ballot box.
“The path to a strong, stable and developed Somalia passes through democratization,” Abdulkadir said.
He pointed to recent elections in Benadir and South West State as examples of what he described as growing public participation in Somalia’s political process.
Abdulkadir also criticized calls by some opposition groups for indirect elections, saying such demands should not override the democratic rights of Somali citizens.Somalia has faced growing political tensions over constitutional reforms, election arrangements and the transition from an indirect clan-based electoral system toward direct one person, one vote elections.
Türkiye is one of Somalia’s closest international partners, supporting the country in areas including security, infrastructure, education and humanitarian assistance.