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Latest News from Somalia
Turkey pledges to help improve Somali security forces
ANKARA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Friday pledged its support and help to improve Somali security forces.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul made the pledge at a joint press conference with his visiting Somali counterpart Sheikh Sharif Ahmed after talks.
Gul told the reporters that Turkey was interested in what happened in Somalia, an African country that was located on a strategic spot in the Gulf of Aden but has suffered a lot over the past 20 years.
He urged the international community to take steps to ensure security in Somalia and rebuild the country's infrastructure.
"Turkey will play its part in this respect" and "support for the establishment of Somali security forces, their training and other needs," Gul said.
For his part, Ahmed expressed his sorrow over Somalis' involvement in piracy and vowed that Somali executives would not let re-experience a chaos in the country.
He, meanwhile, urged for international assistance in the fight against piracy, saying his country needs Turkish and international supports to overcome the maritime crimes.
Somalia has been engulfed in domestic turbulence since early 1990s as several groups vie for control.
Pirate attacks on ships off Somali have also created disturbance in the world. Several countries, including Turkey, sent their warships off Somali to protect commercial vessels.
