Erdoğan hosts Somali leader days after Israel's Somaliland move

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Somali leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Istanbul on Dec. 30, days after Israel’s decision to recognize the breakaway territory of Somaliland.

The two leaders were to review all aspects of bilateral relations and discuss steps to further deepen cooperation. The talks was also expected to cover "Somalia’s fight against terrorism, efforts by the Somali federal government to achieve national unity and broader regional developments," according to Erdoğan’s office.

The meeting at the Dolmabahçe office came four days after Israel announced on Dec. 26 that it would recognize Somaliland as an independent state. Somaliland seceded from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally. Many countries, including Türkiye, condemned Israel’s move, saying it violated international law and threatened Somalia’s territorial integrity.

Israel has said it will cooperate with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and the economy in return for the territory’s participation in the Abraham Accords.

Türkiye has been one of Somalia’s closest partners for more than a decade, providing extensive humanitarian aid, development assistance and investment to one of the world’s poorest countries. Preserving Somalia’s territorial integrity was expected to be a central focus of the Istanbul talks.

Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye's opposition to Israel’s decision during a telephone call on Dec. 29 with Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah, saying the move was part of "efforts to destabilize the region." He said Ankara would continue to raise the issue at regional and international levels.

Under a military cooperation agreement, Türkiye operates a base in Mogadishu where it trains Somali forces in counterterrorism and other military capabilities. A separate agreement signed in 2024 provides for the Turkish navy to help protect Somalia’s coastline for 10 years. The two countries have also discussed establishing a scientific facility in Somalia to support space-related research.

The Erdoğan–Mohamud talks were also expected to assess the impact of recent developments on the peace process between Somalia and Ethiopia, facilitated by Türkiye.

Relations between the two neighbors sharply deteriorated in 2024 after Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland that would grant Addis Ababa access to the Berbera port in exchange for recognizing Somaliland. International initiatives and Turkish mediation later helped ease tensions.

Energy cooperation featured prominently on the agenda. The day before the leaders met, the energy ministers of the two countries held talks in Ankara on deepening collaboration. Ankara said discussions focused on the status of Turkish hydrocarbon exploration activities in Somalia’s onshore and offshore areas and operational plans for the coming period, describing the process as the start of a “new era” in energy ties.

According to a report published this year by an academy operating under Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Somalia is estimated to hold nearly 30 billion barrels of oil and an unproven natural gas capacity of about 5.5 trillion cubic meters.