İzmit Consulate of Somalia, a country to which Turkey provides most support recently, opened in Izmit. Dr. Mehmet Nezih Erdem, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Erdem Holding has been declared honorary consul.

The ceremony arranged in a business center in Izmit district was attended by Dr. Mehmet Nezih Erdem, Honorary Consul of Somalia, Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdırahman, Ankara Ambassador of Federal Republic of Somalia, İbrahim Karaosmanoğlu, the Mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, Mustafa Guni , the Deputy Governor of Kocaeli as well as Asc. Prof. Sezen Komşuoğlu, the President of Kocaeli University (KOU) and Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, the Chairman of Kocaeli Chamber of Industry.

In his speech, Erdem expressed that interregional trade volume would increase upon increased relations, and opening of honorary consulates between Turkey and Somalia, a significant passage of African continent with a population of approximately 12 million.

Erdem, stating that commercial relations would increase with countries in Africa, added that the most important way of realization is to join the business worlds of two countries via such efforts.

Ambassador in Ankara Federal Republic of Somalia, Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdırahman, also told that the consulate here would reinforce the relations between Turkey and Somalia shortly .

Depicting that recommendations in line with the experiences of Erdem would be useful, Abdırrahman said “Kocaeli has a significant position in automobile, cement, steel and similar industrial sectors. I believe that a significant door will be opened for the businessmen to arrive in Somalia.