A Turkish official revealed that Ankara is requesting an explanation from Somalia after the son of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud left the country following a fatal traffic accident involving a diplomatic vehicle. Turkish media reported that Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was driving a consular vehicle on November 30 when he struck a delivery worker on a motorcycle in central Istanbul, causing serious injuries.
The Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as investigations are still ongoing, stated that Mohamed was driving a vehicle that bore a diplomatic license plate at the time of the incident. The official added that in the absence of "diplomatic immunity or exemption, it does not change the fact that the son of the Somali president was driving a vehicle with a diplomatic license plate," noting that the Turkish Ministry of Justice is handling the case.
The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office stated on Friday that the president's son left Turkey on December 2 after the police investigation with him concluded while the motorcycle driver was in the hospital. The prosecutor's office further noted that after the driver passed away in the hospital on December 6, an international arrest warrant was issued for the son of the Somali president.
