ABSTRACT
In 2011 Somalia unexpectedly became one of the focal points for Turkish foreign policy. Humanitarian, messianic, opportunistic and strategic calculations made Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu look at the famine in the Horn of Africa state as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to accelerate process of achieving recognition as an emerging global power. The first humanitarian impulse soon opened space for an attempt to turn Somalia, synonymous to a “failed state”, into an exemplary Turkish success story in Africa. To make it happen, the Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led leadership employed a wide array of soft power tools, and a flexible, experimenting approach. Turkish involvement proved to be highly popular in Somalia and influenced its pro-Turkish policy choices on regional arena. While long-term outcome of the exercise can be contested, it certainly changed the rules of the game inside and around Somalia and brought a sense of appreciation for a broader Turkish move into Africa. Understanding the impact Turkey made in Somalia – both in real terms and in perception – is critical for assessing limitations of international engagement in the Horn.
