Nairobi, Kenya- February 10^th, 2012-

According to a news piece published by the Daily Nation on 5th February 2012, a senior officer from an armed group in Somalia claimed that the “humanitarian foods and medicine brought to Somalia by Turkish agencies are expired”. These allegations are unfounded and carry a malicious tone. We condemn these remarks and regard such allegations as a futile initiative to undermine Turkish efforts to help the people of Somalia.

Upon receiving such claims, Turkish Ambassador resident in Mogadishu, H.E. C. Kani Torun, personally inspected food and medicine supplies by Turkish Governmental and non-Governmental aid agencies in Somalia and established such facts to be untrue.

We would like to reiterate that the resolute efforts of the Turkish agencies and Turkish people in Somalia will continue at the behest of H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, who visited Mogadishu on 19th August 2011, with five cabinet ministers and their immediate families in order to show sincere support to the people of Somalia. The visit has proven to be a milestone in attracting international attention to Somalia. Humanitarian Aid poured into the country in the last seven months ending the famine situation in Somalia. Commending the efforts of the international community in reaching this result, we appeal for continuous support to Somalia. We also would like to remind that Turkish aid is aimed at the whole Somali nation.