Erdoğan's son-in-law messes with Somali port resources
January 26, 2020 World news
In September 2014,
Somali Port Minister Abdirahman Maalim announced that the Somali government had handed over the tasks of managing Mogadishu's international seaport, which has been out of operation for many years, to
The Albayrak Company of
Turkey for 20 years.
The
Somali minister said in a press statement at the time that the Somali government officially handed over the port's operation to Albayrak for 20 years, and that port employees would continue their work, under the management of the
Turkish company owned by the
family of Bert
Al-Bayrak, son-in-law of the
family of
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The agreement stipulated that the
Turkish company would give 51% of the port's revenues to the
Somali government, and that the company would provide the government with a copy of its annual accounts to know the revenues and expenses, thereby calculating the difference and determining the percentage due to both parties.
What has happened over the past five years has been otherwise, as the company withdraws its funds from local banks daily so that its revenues are not known on a monthly or annually basis that can be calculated.
The port of Mogadishu was permanently shut down after the fall of the government in 1991, then reopened during the work of international peacekeeping forces due to the civil war in the country in 1992, then closed in 1995, following the departure of international peacekeeping forces, and the Islamic courts that took control of Somalia were reinstated. He re-emerged in 2006.
In earlier remarks following the signing of the deal published by Turkish and Somali websites, Sami Errol, the company's director in Somalia, said the company will provide the port with the latest technological technology to attract world trade, as the port will see expansions, in addition to the restoration of parts affected since the civil war, Ignoring the percentage allocated to Turkey in the project, he said only that 51% of the port's revenues would go to the Somali government treasury, and the remaining 49% would be allocated to the development of port services.
Somali media revealed that the company has established a hospital of 200 rooms, while the director of the company Sami Ayrol, said at a press conference, that this project is part of the projects that the company aims to raise the services of the international port of Mogadishu, and make it the most important port in East Africa, adding that after the completion of the project The port's capacity will increase from 4, 5 ships to 8 and 9 large merchant ships.
