Mogadishu (A.A) – February 9, 2012 – Somali Deputy Education Minister Abdulqadir Muhammed Bare stated that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit, along with his family, opened significant doors beyond aid, and earned respect from other countries.
Bare told Anadolu Agency that Somalia, once one of Africa’s most developed countries in the 1990s, has suffered greatly due to prolonged civil war. He highlighted that education was free in those times but emphasized the major changes experienced in the country after Erdogan’s visit.
He added that before Erdogan’s visit, Somalia was considered unreachable by other countries, many of whom doubted the possibility of offering help. After Erdogan and his family came, many doors opened, and other nations began to show respect. The United Nations also opened an office, and after seeing the Turks’ presence, they began asking, “Let’s build an education system. What are your needs?”
Bare continued, “Many wanted to help Somalia, but no one actually did. Some countries didn’t even know what our needs were. But with Erdogan and the Turks’ arrival, the situation reversed. It seems someone woke up, and now everyone is coming, asking ‘How can we help?’ Somalia was once labeled an inaccessible country, but after Erdogan’s arrival, they realized it is reachable.”
He underlined the important role Turks play in Somalia, especially in repairing schools. Bare expressed gratitude for the support from Turkey in education and said, “The Turks provide good education and host students in their country. We hope they return home with a quality education. Turkey is one of the developed countries and will benefit us greatly. Our Turkish brothers came not just to talk but to act, opening their hearts to us. Both the people and the government stood by us. We have Africa’s longest coastline. We want to strengthen relations between Somalia and Turkey in agriculture, livestock, and underground resource development.”
Bare thanked Prime Minister Erdogan in Turkish and added that the Somali people will never forget the support from the Turkish state and people during difficult times.