Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Israel's decision to formally recognize of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland was an illegal and unacceptable step, adding that it was trying to drag the horn of Africa into destabilization.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Istanbul, Erdogan also said Turkey was planning on starting offshore energy drilling off the coast of Somalia in 2026 as per a bilateral agreement, adding that it was adding two new drilling vessels to its fleet.
Erdogan also said Turkey planned to establish a space port in Somalia as part of bilateral agreements, but did not provide further details.
Israel’s decision on December 26, 2025, to recognize Somaliland and establish full diplomatic relations was a rare, deliberate break from the global consensus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar framed it as historic.
Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, welcomed the move and said his government wants to join the Abraham Accords framework.
Swift pushback on Somaliland recognition
The pushback was just as swift. Somalia denounced the recognition as an attack on its sovereignty. Saudi Arabia publicly opposed it, and the Arab League rejected the step outright.
Egypt said it had coordinated with Somalia, Turkey, and Djibouti in refusing the move. The African Union Commission’s chair, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, urged Israel to respect Somalia’s territorial integrity.