President Hassan Sheikh Receives Credentials from New Turkish and EU Ambassadors

MOGADISHU — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud formally received the credentials of two new ambassadors on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace, marking the official start of their diplomatic missions in Somalia.

The envoys are Ferhat Alkan, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye, and László Máthé, the new Ambassador of the European Union to Somalia. The event was attended by a unit of the Somali Armed Forces, which presented a guard of honour to the ambassadors as they submitted their credentials to the President.

A Veteran Turkish Diplomat

Ferhat Alkan is a career diplomat with more than two decades of experience in Türkiye’s foreign service. His appointment was announced in June 2026 as part of a broader Turkish diplomatic reshuffle that reassigned nearly 30 envoys across Africa and other regions.

Alkan previously served as Türkiye’s Ambassador to Mozambique since January 2025. His diplomatic career includes postings at Turkish embassies in Washington, Beijing and Kabul, as well as service as Consul General in Houston. Within Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has held senior positions including Head of the Libya Desk, Special Adviser to the Deputy Foreign Minister, and Protocol Director at the presidential level.

He arrives in Mogadishu during a period that marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Somalia and Türkiye, as well as the 15th anniversary of President Erdoğan’s historic visit to Somalia in 2011, as reported in FTL Somalia’s coverage of the anniversary.

EU Ambassador with Sahel Experience

László Máthé was appointed as the European Union’s Ambassador to Somalia in September 2026. He previously served as Hungary’s Special Envoy for the Sahel at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and formerly held the position of Hungarian Ambassador to Kenya.

Máthé presented copies of his credentials to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Mohamed Ali on September 19, as reported in FTL Somalia’s coverage of the initial ceremony. The EU is one of Somalia’s largest development and security partners, supporting peacebuilding, governance, and economic development programmes.

President Highlights Somalia’s Progress

During the ceremony, President Mohamud shared with the new ambassadors the progress Somalia has achieved in security, democratisation, state-building and development. He emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation and relations between Somalia and the two entities they represent, in order to achieve shared goals.

The ambassadors conveyed greetings and messages from their respective leaderships and commended Somalia’s progress in state-building, security and development. Both envoys reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with the Federal Government institutions to strengthen relations between Somalia and their represented entities.

Critical Note

The simultaneous accreditation of Turkish and EU ambassadors reflects the breadth of Somalia’s international partnerships. Türkiye and the European Union are among Somalia’s most significant external partners, though their engagements differ in character and focus. Türkiye’s role has been defined by a combination of humanitarian assistance, military training through TURKSOM, and defence cooperation, including the 2024 defence agreement covering maritime security. The EU’s engagement, by contrast, has focused on institutional development, training missions, and financial support to African Union peacekeeping operations, including a EUR 75 million contribution to AUSSOM.

For Ambassador Alkan, the task will be to manage a relationship that has expanded rapidly while navigating sensitivities around Türkiye’s growing security and maritime footprint. His decision to begin his tenure by meeting young Somalis at a coffeehouse, rather than issuing formal statements from the embassy, signals a desire to connect with the Somali public beyond official channels.

For Ambassador Máthé, the challenge will be to maintain the positive trajectory of EU-Somalia relations at a time when the bloc’s security and defence missions in Somalia have been extended until February 2027, and when the African Union mission is preparing to draw down. The EU’s continued financial and institutional support will be critical as Somalia navigates its security transition.

The ceremony also serves a domestic political function. By presenting Somalia’s progress and receiving messages of support from two major partners, the government reinforces its narrative of a country re-engaging with the international community. Whether that narrative is matched by tangible improvements in security and governance remains the central question.