President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s historic visit to Ethiopia after a decade clearly demonstrates Ethiopia's diplomatic and economic strength, as well as its high demand in the region, according to international political and security analysts.

Sharing their perspectives on TRT World’s "Strait Talk" program, security and political scholars explored the broad geopolitical significance of the visit for Turkey, Ethiopia, and the Horn of Africa.

Key Highlights of the Discussion:

The Sea Access Issue: Analysts highlighted Turkey’s significant potential to facilitate a peaceful, negotiated solution to Ethiopia's quest for sea access.

Regional Stability: Professor Mehmet Özkan of Turkey’s National Defense University stated that Turkey is working to find a peaceful path for Ethiopia to gain sea access in a manner that does not pose a security threat to the region.

Economic Connectivity: Moses Chrispus Okello, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Addis Ababa, and Hassan Khannenje, Director of the Horn International Institute in Nairobi, reinforced this view. They suggested that rather than remaining landlocked, Ethiopia can access multiple ports through a framework of regional economic integration.

Economic and Strategic Impact

The agreements signed during the visit in the energy and trade sectors are expected to do more than just stimulate the Ethiopian economy. Experts believe these deals further amplify Ethiopia's regional influence and its status as a powerhouse in the Horn of Africa.