Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Lower House Speaker Abduqadir Mohamed Nur Jama has condemned the burning of Turkish flags in the country, calling the incidents a “foreign agenda” intended to weaken the historic ties between the Somali and Turkish peoples.
Speaking Thursday at a Mogadishu event celebrating a new phase in Somalia-Türkiye relations, Jama said the recent attacks on the Turkish flag did not represent the Somali public or its interests.
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“I was deeply saddened to see the Turkish flag being targeted or burned inside Somalia recently,” Jama said. “We know that this is not a Somali agenda.”
He called on Somalis to refrain from conduct that could damage relations with Türkiye, especially as security and political tensions continue to create risks across the Horn of Africa.
Jama pointed to Türkiye’s support for Somalia during some of its most challenging periods, citing assistance in humanitarian relief, development, security and economic affairs.
“We must remember our Turkish brothers, who stood by us with support and assistance when we needed it most,” he said. “Many sacrificed their lives and wealth for Somalia, and some even sustained injuries in the process.”
The speaker said the partnership between Somalia and Türkiye should not be viewed as an arrangement linked to a particular government or administration, but as a longstanding connection between the two nations’ people.
He noted that successive Somali governments had preserved ties with Türkiye, demonstrating that the relationship extends beyond the political priorities of any single administration.
“This is not merely a relationship between politicians and diplomats; it is a bond between the peoples of both nations that extends to every level of society,” he said.
Jama further cautioned against allowing Somalia’s internal political disagreements to spill over into relations with Türkiye, urging the parties to address domestic disputes through dialogue and mutual understanding.
“We want to avoid foreign agendas that seek to undermine the relationship between the two countries,” Jama said.
He stressed that Somalia’s domestic political conflicts should not draw Türkiye into the dispute and called on Somalis to settle their internal affairs themselves.
His comments followed protests by thousands of people in Kismayo and Afmadow in Jubaland, who denounced Somalia’s federal government and Türkiye after a reported drone strike in Doolow district, Gedo region.
The protesters alleged that Türkiye had played a role in an airstrike targeting the residence of former Somali Correctional Service commander Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Shub.
Some demonstrators set Turkish flags alight, while others held images of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Several banners carried the message, “We don’t need Erdoğan.”
The crowds also chanted against Türkiye and the federal government, arguing that foreign aircraft should not be involved in Somalia’s internal political and security disputes.
Somalia’s federal government has rejected claims that it was involved in the Doolow incident and said it would establish a fact-finding committee to investigate what happened.
