The ongoing election in Turkey is currently trending on social media in Somalia, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan surprisingly enjoys popular backing because of the support he has given to the country.
The most senior non-African politician to visit Somalia more than ten years ago, when he was still Turkey’s prime minister, he won the hearts of millions when he went to a camp for displaced persons.
Due to Mr. Erdogan’s visit, the world became aware of the serious drought that Somalia was experiencing at the time.
One of the largest hospitals in the city, Mogadishu, was erected by the Turkish government under his administration and was given his honour.
Turkey has also built a military base in Mogadishu, and is involved in the training of more than 20,000 Somali special forces.
‘We stand with Erdogan as he stood with Somalia during the difficult time. Praying and hoping for his victory,’ Adam Hassan Salamiin said in a Facebook post, which summed up the views of many people.
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Somalia has been hit by instability since the fall of long-serving ruler Siad Barre in 1991, and is currently battling an insurgency by militant Islamists.
Mr. Erdogan will go head-to-head with his opposition rival in a run-off vote. Mr Erdogan led the first round with 49.51% of the vote, official results show.
Although he had a clear lead over his main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who polled 44.88%, he needed more than half the vote to win the race outright.
Erdogan took 49.5 percent of Sunday’s presidential vote, with his main challenger, Kilicdaroglu, getting 44.89 percent.
Following Sunday’s election, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country showed it has an “advanced democratic culture”.
‘With the maturity it showed yesterday, Turkey has shown that it is one of the countries with the most advanced democratic culture in the world,’ Erdogan said in a tweet on Monday.
The president said that he will emerge victorious in the May 28 runoff.