By Asha Elmi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, Somalia, 30 September 2026 Somalia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hassan Mohamed Ali ‘Nadaara’ received the credentials of Türkiye’s new ambassador to Somalia, Ferhat Alkan, on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Ali welcomed Alkan and described Somalia and Türkiye as brotherly countries with longstanding ties based on shared faith and history, according to a statement from Somalia’s Foreign Ministry.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in security, trade, development and education, the ministry said.
Alkan formally assumed his duties as Türkiye’s ambassador to Somalia on September 21, according to the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu. He previously served as Türkiye’s ambassador to Mozambique from February 2025 until September 2026.
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A career diplomat who joined Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry in 2001, Alkan has served in diplomatic and senior government positions in Afghanistan, the United States and China, as well as in Türkiye’s foreign ministry. He also served as Türkiye’s consul general in Houston from 2014 to 2017.
Alkan replaces Alper Aktaş, who served as Türkiye’s ambassador to Somalia from March 2024 until September 14, 2026. Aktaş was subsequently appointed as Türkiye’s ambassador to North Macedonia.
Alkan holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Middle East Technical University and a master’s degree from the University of Nottingham. He was born in Kayseri in 1976.
The meeting marked a diplomatic engagement between the two countries as Somalia and Türkiye continue to build on their bilateral partnership across several areas of cooperation.