Turkey's involvement in Somalia: How Somalis perceive Turkey's stabilization efforts in Somalia

The Somali state-building process has been a difficult task for both the Somalis and the international community since the fall of the central government in 1991. Research has shown that the chaotic nature of the Somali conflict continues to attract new actors that intervene in the Somali issues. This study aims to understand how Somalis perceive the presence of external actors in Somalia and their activities in the country. Particularly, this study asks how Somalis perceive Turkey's stabilization efforts in Somalia? The research is also interested in why they perceive the way they do.? Host population perception studies gained increased attention in the last two decades. Based on the literature review qualitative interview research was conducted, using a snowball sampling method, twenty-five open-ended questions were asked to fifty Somalis from different regions and backgrounds in Turkey. Analysis of the responses illustrated that the majority of the participants showed an enormous trust and love for Turkey and the projects it has been doing in Somalia both civil and government-led programs. Although there were a number of criticisms from the participants, the research focused on why Turkey's peace and state-building operations in Somalia were favored the highest among the multiple actors involved in the Somali peace process. The findings indicate that the failure of the traditional donors to achieve tangible results and bringing useful projects in Somalia, the successful Turkish aid model in 2011 and the common culture, history, and religion were among the main factors that contributed to the way Somalis perceive Turkey. Further research is needed to identify how Somalis perceive different actors involved in Somalis and what shapes their perceptions. Keywords: Host-Population, Peace Intervention, Perception, Somali conflict, Traditional Donors. Turkish Involvement