A Turkish court on Tuesday fined the son of Somalia's president less than $1,000 for accidentally knocking over and killing a delivery driver in Istanbul, local media reported.
The court found Mohammed, the son of Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, guilty of causing death by negligence when the car he was driving collided with a motorbike delivery man on November 30.
Yunus Emre Gocer, a parent with two children, died in the hospital six days later.
Turkish prosecutors issued an international arrest order after discovering that the Somali president's son had fled the country following the event.
His departure sparked outrage in Turkey's opposition media, with some accusing the government of allowing the president's son to avoid prosecution in order to maintain good relations with its close African partner.
The defendant was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and fined 27,300 lira ($900) by an Istanbul court on Tuesday, according to the private NTV network.
Turkish prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of up to six years.
Mohammed returned to Istanbul to testify in the case, Turkey's pro-government media reported, although it was not immediately clear if he was in court when the verdict was read.
Turkey has maintained close ties with Somalia over the past decade and is the Horn of Africa country's major economic partner, particularly in the building, education, and health sectors.
The two countries also enjoy close military ties.
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