Turkish opposition implicitly accuses authorities of complicity in smuggling Somali President’s son
The case has sparked a lot of criticism in Turkey following the release of Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud without judicial oversight
Turkish opposition implicitly accused the authorities of involvement in the smuggling of the son of the Somali president, who is accused of involuntary manslaughter after running over and killing a man riding a motorcycle in Istanbul.
His departure from Turkish territory without judicial supervision and accountability has caused widespread anger, while an international arrest warrant has been issued against him. The case seems to have special sensitivity given the close Turkish-Somali relations.
The Western-backed Somali government has strong economic, diplomatic, and military ties with Turkey that have been growing since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Mogadishu in 2011. Somalia hosts the largest Turkish embassy in Africa, and the strategically located country in the heart of Africa is part of Turkey’s expansion agenda on the African continent.
Turkish relations with the Somali government are growing as part of Ankara’s strategy to enhance communication and cooperation with the African continent in all fields.
This case, especially condemned by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, an opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has received a lot of criticism following the release of the suspect Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud without judicial oversight. A preliminary police report considered the victim responsible for the accident, according to the Republic newspaper.
Imamoglu said on the “X” platform on Saturday, “The suspect left Turkey with his hands untied.” He added, “The prevailing mentality that turns a blind eye and allows this escape is unfortunately unable to defend the rights of its citizens in its own country.”
According to a police report conveyed by the “Haber” television channel, the son of President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud hit a motorcycle in broad daylight on November 30th. The victim, Yunus Emre Gucer, a father of two, died in the hospital six days after the incident, in which he was violently thrown onto the road.
The prosecutor issued an arrest warrant against the driver, “but when the police went to the suspect’s house on Friday, he had been missing since December 2nd,” according to the “Haber” channel. The channel added, “Therefore, an international arrest warrant was issued against him on December 8, 2023,” by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In turn, the victim’s lawyer, Iyaz Shemin, condemned the initial traffic police report that blamed the victim for “recklessness” in the accident, according to the “Republic” newspaper. He added that “a second expert report with video recordings showed that the car driver was 100 percent responsible” for the accident, expressing concern that the latter “will never be arrested.” The police say the son of the Somali president was driving a car said to belong to the Somali consulate there.
For about ten years, Turkey has maintained a close relationship with Somalia, with a population of 17 million, the majority of whom are Muslims in the African Horn, being Turkey’s main economic partner, especially in the fields of construction, education, health, social care, and military cooperation. Turkey provided military training in the government’s war against the Al-Shabaab movement, while Turkey benefits from extensive investments in the country.
Turkey has the largest Turkish military base and training facility abroad in Somalia. It has the capacity to accommodate about 1500 trainees at one time and has already trained more than 5000 Somali security forces.
Turkish Bayraktar drones participate in bombing central and southern Somalia alongside American aviation in an attempt to prevent the rise of the Al-Shabaab movement in the country.
Since Turkey’s intervention shifted from mere humanitarian intervention to military intervention, Turkey has become a key ally in the international coalition fighting against Al-Shabaab in Somalia.
