Ankara, Dec 12 (IANS): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to address escalating tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations.

The high-level talks, attended by top Turkish officials including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler, focused on diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis sparked by Ethiopia's signing of an agreement with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region of Somalia, in January, Xinhua news agency reported.

Somalia has strongly denounced the agreement as a violation of its sovereignty, which grants Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in return for its recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.

Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator seeking to reduce tensions between the two countries, with Wednesday's trilateral discussions representing a diplomatic attempt to find a peaceful resolution.