Somalia opposition warns Turkey over support for Hassan Sheikh

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somali opposition leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame on Sunday warned that Türkiye’s public support for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud risks deepening Somalia’s constitutional crisis after the expiration of both parliament’s and the president’s mandates, arguing the country has entered one of its most fragile political periods in decades.

In a lengthy political statement, Abdishakur accused the Somali government of pursuing a contested transition without broad political consensus, saying unilateral moves to extend Hassan Sheikh’s rule had intensified institutional polarization, weakened constitutional legitimacy and heightened security risks across the country.

The opposition figure said the crisis escalated after the mandate of Somalia’s Federal Parliament expired on April 14, followed by the end of Hassan Sheikh’s constitutional term on May 15. Rather than facilitating an agreed political transition, he argued, the president sought to prolong his rule despite objections from opposition groups and several Federal Member States.

Abdishakur also criticized Türkiye’s public reaffirmation of support for Hassan Sheikh immediately after the expiry of his mandate, describing the move as politically consequential at a moment when international actors have largely emphasized dialogue, constitutional legitimacy and consensus-based electoral arrangements.

“For more than a decade, Somalis viewed Türkiye differently from many external powers,” Abdishakur said, arguing Ankara had earned goodwill through humanitarian aid, infrastructure projects, healthcare investments and security cooperation. But he warned that visible alignment with an increasingly disputed presidency risked undermining the neutrality that once distinguished Turkish engagement in Somalia.

The statement comes as Somalia faces mounting tensions over plans for universal suffrage elections promoted by Hassan Sheikh under the slogan “one person, one vote.” While Abdishakur acknowledged that direct elections remain a legitimate national aspiration, he argued democratic legitimacy could not be reduced to electoral rhetoric alone.

“Elections alone do not create democracy,” he said, warning that fragile states require constitutional legitimacy, institutional neutrality, political inclusivity, public trust and security guarantees before credible elections can take place.

Abdishakur pointed to recent events in South West State as evidence of the dangers posed by politically contested electoral processes. He accused the federal government of intervening directly in regional politics after the removal of the former South West president and the rise of parliamentary speaker Aden Mohamed Nur Madoobe as the preferred presidential candidate aligned with Villa Somalia.

According to the opposition leader, the resulting tensions triggered armed confrontations in Baidoa involving federal forces, clan militias and Turkish drone-backed military operations. He said the unrest later contributed to the emergence of a rival administration in Marka and created conditions that allowed Al-Shabaab to intensify attacks across the region.

“The deterioration of security in South West State is therefore not separate from the political crisis. It is one of its direct consequences,” Abdishakur said.

He warned that Somalia risked normalizing governance beyond constitutional limits while continuing to invoke democratic language, arguing that authoritarian tendencies often emerge through disputed elections, contested constitutional amendments and concentration of power justified in the name of stability.

Abdishakur urged Somalia’s international partners to support inclusive dialogue, constitutional clarity and negotiated political arrangements rather than aligning with individual leaders during contested transitions. He said Türkiye, in particular, faced a significant test over whether its engagement would remain anchored in support for Somali institutions and constitutional order or become associated with a single political actor.

“Because genuine partnership with Somalia should mean strengthening institutions rather than individuals,” he said.

The remarks underscore growing tensions surrounding Somalia’s unresolved electoral dispute, which has exposed deep divisions over constitutional amendments, the structure of future elections and the legitimacy of federal institutions amid fears of renewed political fragmentation.

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