Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to end their bitter dispute over Addis Ababa's plans to build a port in the breakaway republic of Somaliland following talks in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the "historic agreement",

Somalia and Ethiopia said they would work together to resolve a dispute over Addis Ababa's plan to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which had drawn in regional powers and threatened to further destabilise the Horn of Africa.

Somalia and Ethiopia have reached a deal to end a nearly year-old bitter dispute following hours of Turkish-brokered talks in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday. Hailing it as a "historic agreement",

Ethiopia had earlier signalled a willingness to recognise Somaliland’s independence in exchange for a strategic strip of land near the Red Sea and Indian Ocean intersection

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held separate meetings with the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia on Wednesday as part of his efforts to resolve a dispute between the two Horn of Africa neighbours at odds over the breakaway Somaliland region.

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan says a joint declaration between Ethiopia and Somalia ‘focuses on the future, not the past’, describing it as the first step towards a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between the neighbours.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces talks between the two countries to end dispute over breakaway Somaliland region

If Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also attends the meeting, it will be the first time the two leaders have met since Addis Ababa announced plans to build a port in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland,

Ethiopia and Somalia agreed to lower tensions over a deal that would allow Addis Ababa to build a military base on the coast of the breakaway region of Somaliland in exchange for a stake in its national airline.

Talks slated for Wednesday in Ankara highlight Turkey's growing influence in the region and its role as a mediator in African affairs