Somalia, Ethiopia to resume talks on port deal under Turkish mediation, Ankara says

ANKARA (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Somalia and Ethiopia will meet in Ankara next week to discuss disagreements over a port deal Addis Ababa signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland earlier this year, Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan said.

Turkey is now mediating talks between the east African neighbours, whose ties became strained in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland, in exchange for recognition of its independence.

Mogadishu called the agreement illegal and retaliated by expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and threatening to kick out thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country helping battle Islamist insurgents.

Somali and Ethiopian foreign ministers met in Ankara last month along with Fidan to discuss their disagreements, and agreed to hold another round of talks.

At a news conference in Istanbul, Fidan said a second round of talks between Somalia and Ethiopia will take place in Ankara next week.

Fidan's announcement came a week after he visited Addis Ababa and met Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

"We discussed these issues with Prime Minister Abiy in detail," Fidan said.

"Tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia would come to an end with Ethiopia's access to the seas through Somalia as long as Ethiopia's recognition of Somalia's territorial integrity and political sovereignty is secured."

Turkey has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years. Ankara has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Turkey.

In 2017, Turkey opened its biggest overseas military base in Mogadishu. Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia signed a defence and economic cooperation agreement.

Ankara is also set to send navy support to Somali waters after the two countries agreed Ankara will send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia to prospect for oil and gas.

(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; editing by Giles Elgood)