By Goth Mohamed Goth
Somaliland Minister of Aviation and Air Transport Hon Mahmoud Abdi Hashi who is currently on working in Ankara, Turkey has meet with top officials of the Turkish Airlines to discuss plans by the international carrier to start flights to Egal International Airport soon.
In a press statement released by the official spokesperson in the ministry of Civil Aviation and Air transport Mr. Saddam Mohamed Ahmed and which stated as follows:-
The Minister of Civil Aviation and Air Transport Hon Mahmoud Hashi Abdi has meet with top Turkish officials and which he began by saying “we hope a very fruitful outcome from the talks; we are at the moment discussing technical matters.
The Aviation Minister flanked by two legal experts from the Somaliland Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air Transport meet with His counterpart Turkish Minister of Aviation and Transport Mr. Lutti Elvin, of whom they discussed several issues including the ongoing air control management talk with Somalia of which they expect to find long term solution to the problem and how Turkey government can assist Somaliland by upgrading the Egal International Airport.
On the hand Somaliland Minister of Civil Aviation meet with the CEO of Turkish Airlines Dr. Temel Ikotil to discuss plans by the Turkish Airlines to begin flights to Somaliland Airports in June, 2014 with the first expected to land at Egal International Airport, Hargeisa.
Somaliland Delegation also meets with the officials from the Office of Turkish Prime Minister deputy director of TIKA Mr. Sureyya Polat to discussed ways in which the Turkish government can contribute and help in promoting sustainable developments in Somaliland, Hon Mahmoud Hashi Abdi gave the deputy director of TIKA a proposal for the upgrading of Egal International Airport.
The Deputy Director of TIKA pledged his agency would send a team to do the assessment and evaluated the which areas need assistance most ,he also promised that the Turkish development aid agency would donated and deliver a modern fire fighting vehicle to be used at the Egal International Airport this April.
SomalilandPress. Com
Somaliland public is not happy about Turkey. That is 100% sure and the reason is that they forget the history this country [Somaliland/Turkey] share since fifteen century. I think the new Turkey did not read their achieves and its contents.
The day Turkey has shown an interest in Somalia/Somaliland affairs was a dark day for Somaliland. Turkey is viscerally allergic to 'secession' because of its Kurdish problem. It wants united Somaila run from Mogadishu. It is arming, training and bankrolling our would-be gonocidaires in Mogadishu. It is quite literally fixing up Somalia from Mogadshu. Somaliland negotiators lack the experience and intellectual depth to understand Turkish undermining of Somaliland cause
Ankara's 'mediation' is like the US 'mediation' of Isreal and Palestinians ie the armourer, funder, protector of one side of a conflict pretending to be dispassionate medaitor. It does not work
Well done my government who is working hard for your people. Recognition is on the way inshallah. People you need to praise the good efforts instead of making pointless comments.
Long live Somaliland
First, I will have to say Kudos to the SILANYO ADMINISTRATION and in particular the concerned Ministry for job well done.
After all, Turkish Airline is a commercial entity and must have seen the potential, financially, this can and will bring to their company as well the full weight of the Somaliland community in the diaspora flocking home in the summer months with their off springs in toe. Turkish can easily haul them from as far away as North America and the European countries where all these Somalilanders and other Somalis dwell. Turkish flies to many European countries and the USA and Canada.
This is a blessing for the locals to be flying home in style and with the full accordance of international safety standards. Now, Ethiopian got to be running for their money as real competition is in the house. Best deal EVER for the locals. I will start booking for my flight ASAP.
On the political front, I beg to differ a little and here is my 2 cents brothers and sisters. Let us do business with the Turkish first and get to know one another a little better. They are not and we do not want them to come home, to Somaliland to feed anybody and do white washing dead beat buildings and pave roads, but signing a bilateral agreements with a young and flourishing state for the way forward. We can no longer afford to be on the side line for ever, waiting to be recognized. When you welcome all these international companies on to your soil, so as to conduct and undertake a bilateral international business with you, that is RECOGNITION to me. It is trickling a drop at a time. Let us not change an IOTA from the status quo. Bollore for BERBERA is in the neighbourhood too. Ethiopian, coming to Somaliland for the past 10 years is one of it. We need to protect these foreign companies with our own blood.
Many more potential investors are on the way and are looking for few more encouraging signs to land home and the Turkish airline is one big fat one. At least, they can identify with Turkish to fly them home. We also need to create a far better investment atmosphere than is in the house currently. What is required is a more aggressive approach to pull potential investors, even for a cup of tea. We rather need to put in place a highly qualified and knowledgeable team that can and able to “SELL” Somaliland to the international community as a “PRODUCT”. What is currently available in the house, is one man show and I don't mean to be MEAN to him in any way form or shape. It can NOT be the responsibility of one person. It is far larger than that, if you are interested in better results.
I saw the Somaliland Minister for Investment the other night on the CNBC programme, which was a golden opportunity to speak to the world about Somaliland and why anybody would want to invest there. Unfortunately, the Minister was UTTERLY unprepared and just could not sell the product named “SOMALILAND” off the shelf, Period! It was obvious to the naked eye, he is simply NOT a salesman and that is not his fault. To be continued.
Mashllah. thats the spirit our homeland needs. Positive people like you.thanks for the long comment walal. I personally benefited from it. you displayed great knowledge.