Turkey-Somalia relations have come under intense scrutiny after an Istanbul motorcycle courier was fatally struck by a vehicle driven by Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the son of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The courier, 38 year old Yunus Emre Göçer, was knocked off his motorcycle from the rear as he slowed down approaching the Eurasia Tunnel exit on Kennedy Avenue in the Fatih district of the major Turkish city, on 30 November. He died six days later, having been rushed to Samatya Training and Research Hospital. Göçer’s funeral, marked by a procession displaying his motorcycle, proceeded from the Council of Forensic Medicine to Başıbüyük Cemetery.
Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, initially detained for questioning, was released. However, his statement proved inconsistent with security footage that showed the car had not braked prior to the collision with the motorbike, as Mohamud had claimed.
Public outcry over the incident immediately caused the political and economic ties between Turkey and Somalia to come under sharp focus.
Notably, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s family has significant investments in Somalia, and the Turkish army plays a pivotal role in training the Somali Armed Forces. Furtherly, the Erdoğan family are linked to the Turkish multinational conglomerate Albayrak Group, which manage the port in Somalian capital Mogadishu.
In response to inquiries about the fatal accident involving the Somalian president’s son, Turkish Justice Minister Tunç on Sunday deflected with a reference to “Palestine issues”, labelled the situation as “complete disinformation”, and announced a judicial investigation into the police officers involved in the aftermath of the accident.
Tunç claimed that efforts are underway, including international procedures, to apprehend Mohamud and ensure a comprehensive and fair investigation, stressing that everyone, irrespective of status, is equal before the law.
Mohamud was issued a travel ban and arrest warrant. However, it was later discovered that Mohamud had left Turkey on 2 December.
