Erdogan weighs in on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland

The Horn of Africa should not be turned into “an arena of struggle for foreign powers,” the Turkish president has said

Israel’s recognition of breakaway Somaliland as an independent state benefits no one and risks further destabilizing the Horn of Africa, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned.

Erdogan made the remarks on Tuesday at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during his first visit to Ethiopia in nearly a decade.

“I would like to reiterate that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland would benefit neither Somaliland nor the Horn of Africa,” he said.

Israel became the first UN member state in December to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state, drawing sharp criticism from regional actors and Somalia, which considers the breakaway region part of its sovereign territory.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia and declared independence in 1991 after a decade-long civil war. The territory, located along the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, has since built its own relatively stable government, security institutions, and currency, but it has not been internationally recognized.

READ MORE: Israel’s recognition of Somaliland ‘null and void’ – African Union

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council has since declared West Jerusalem’s recognition “null and void,” warning that any attempt to “alter borders by force, or illegal means to undermine the unity and territorial integrity of an AU member state, contravenes” continental and international law. Somalia’s federal government also condemned Israel’s decision as a violation of international law, warning that it undermines efforts to stabilize the country after decades of conflict.

Tensions over Somaliland have previously strained relations between Ethiopia and Somalia.

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In early 2024, Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland granting Ethiopia access to a Red Sea port in exchange for possible recognition, prompting Somalia to accuse its landlocked neighbor of violating its sovereignty.

The dispute was later defused through diplomatic mediation led by Türkiye and other regional partners.

Erdogan, whose government maintains close ties with Somalia and has invested heavily in its infrastructure and security sector, has said disputes in the Horn of Africa should be resolved by regional actors without turning the region into “an arena of struggle for foreign powers.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Somaliland rejected Erdogan’s remarks as “unacceptable interference,” urging Türkiye to refrain from actions that could inflame regional tensions.