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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan helda phone call Friday with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, during which the two ministers condemned Israel’s recognition of Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland region, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Abdelatty held separate phone calls on Friday with Somali Foreign Minister Abdel Salam Abdi Ali, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Djiboutian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Hussein Omar to discuss what it described as “dangerous developments” in the Horn of Africa.
The ministers “expressed total rejection and condemnation of Israel’s recognition of the territory of Somaliland” and reaffirmed their full support for “the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia,” the statement said.
Separately, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Israel’s move constituted “yet another example of the Netanyahu government’s unlawful actions aimed at creating instability at the regional and global levels.”
In a written statement shared on X, Keceli said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland represented a “clear interference in Somalia’s internal affairs,” adding that decisions regarding the future of Somalia and the Somaliland region must reflect “the will of all Somalis.”
“Türkiye, which attaches importance to peace and security in the Horn of Africa and firmly supports Somalia’s territorial integrity, will continue to stand by the Somali people,” Keceli said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that Israel had officially recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.
“I announced today the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Netanyahu said the decision was made jointly with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, adding that the sides signed a “joint and mutual declaration” inspired by the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords are agreements signed in 2020 between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco to normalize relations.
Netanyahu also invited the Somaliland president to pay an official visit to Israel, according to the statement.
There was no immediate comment from Somalia’s federal government, which has consistently rejected any recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not received international recognition. It functions as a de facto autonomous entity with its own administration, security forces and political institutions.
The Somali government considers Somaliland an integral part of its territory and views any direct engagement with the region as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and unity.
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