Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland on Tuesday, calling the move “illegitimate and unacceptable” during a press conference in Ankara with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“Preserving the unity and integrity of Somalia in all circumstances holds special importance in our view. Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland is illegitimate and unacceptable,” Erdogan declared, as quoted by the AFP news agency.
Israel announced its recognition of Somaliland last Friday, marking the first time any country had formally acknowledged the self-declared republic in northern Somalia
The move was met with condemnation from the European Union, as well as from a coalition of Arab and Islamic countries, joined by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
On Monday, Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce strongly defended Israel’s recognition of Somaliland during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council convened to discuss the issue.
“Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state,” Bruce stated.
She noted what she described as a striking inconsistency in the Council’s behavior. “Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this Council, made the unilateral decision to recognize a nonexistent Palestinian state. And yet, no emergency meeting was called to express this Council’s outrage,” she said.
Bruce went on to criticize what she described as the Council’s misplaced priorities. “This Council’s persistent double standards and misdirection of focus distract from its mission of maintaining international peace and security,” she asserted.
Erdogan’s comments on the matter come as no surprise, as he has been one of Israel’s most vocal critics in recent years and has expressed support for Hamas.
In April of 2024, he met then-Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul. Haniyeh was later eliminated by Israel.
Erdogan said after the meeting that Palestinian Arab unity was “vital” and added, “The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity.”
Weeks later, Erdogan boasted of the fact that more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey and also took issue with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ reference to Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Turkey, a NATO member, played a key role in negotiating the current Gaza ceasefire and was among the signatories of the accord signed in Egypt.
Ankara has pledged to monitor its implementation and expressed interest in joining the stabilization force.
However, Israel has firmly rejected any Turkish involvement in post-war Gaza despite Turkey's continuing push to be a part of the international force in Gaza.