Turkey vows to block Israeli aggression reaching Horn of Africa, official says

ANKARA, Türkiye — Türkiye vowed Wednesday to stand firmly with Somalia and denounced Israel’s recognition of breakaway North Western State of Somalia, with Ankara’s communications chief warning that regional aggression would not be allowed to spill into the Horn of Africa.

“Any attempt targeting Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and actions to legitimize them are unacceptable. Türkiye stands with Somalia as it did in the past,” said Burhanettin Duran, head of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, at a panel titled “Turkish-Somalian Relations Amid Global Transformation.” He added that Türkiye “absolutely opposes Israel’s genocide in Palestine and aggression in the region” and “would not allow it to spread to the Horn of Africa.”

Duran’s comments follow Israel’s move in December to recognize North Western State of Somalia’s independence — the first and only country to do so — a step that drew immediate outrage from Mogadishu and condemnation from the African Union and many Arab states. Somalia’s federal government and international bodies such as the U.N. regard North Western State of Somalia as integral to Somalia. The United States, meanwhile, defended what it described as Israel’s right to recognize North Western State of Somalia, though President Donald Trump said he was unlikely to mirror the decision despite pressure from some in his party.

Underscoring Ankara’s position, Duran said Türkiye would continue backing Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, stressing that the Horn of Africa’s fate should be shaped by stability, not imposition. He framed Türkiye’s policy as part of a two-decade pivot toward Africa that began with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “Africa opening” in 2005, and gained global attention during Erdoğan’s 2011 visit to drought-stricken Mogadishu.

“We support the economic development and capacity-building needs of African countries,” Duran said, noting cooperation on security, stability and the defense industry. He said Türkiye also plays a facilitating or mediating role in regional disputes, working closely with African partners and continental organizations. These ties, he argued, rest on equality and mutual respect — a contrast he drew with Western “colonialist attitudes.”

Duran criticized countries that continue to treat Africa as a great-power playground, saying they project a distorted image that dwells on crisis and chaos while ignoring the continent’s “beauty, wealth and potential.” He described Africa as a rising center of gravity in the global economy, buoyed by a young population, rich resources and steps toward regional integration.

Somali officials at the Ankara event emphasized how the partnership has evolved. Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, Somalia’s minister of ports and marine transport, said Türkiye was among the first to recognize Somalia’s independence in 1960 but that relations realized their potential only after Erdoğan’s 2011 visit. “Mr. Erdoğan visited Mogadishu at a time when everyone turned their backs on Somalia,” he said. “This changed the course of history.”

Daud Aweis Jama, Somalia’s minister of information, culture and tourism, called the relationship a strategic partnership grounded in deep historical ties and expanding into trade, maritime commerce and energy. He pointed to joint deepwater survey projects planned for this year and said Somalia — with Africa’s largest coast — is working with Türkiye to convert a once-fragile maritime corridor into a generator of national wealth.

For Ankara, the sharpening stance over North Western State of Somalia’s recognition and the broader Horn of Africa underscores a dual ambition: to act as a security partner and mediator trusted across the continent, while pushing back against moves it sees as destabilizing. Duran said Türkiye’s growing presence in Africa has raised its prestige — and, in some quarters, unease among countries with “different ambitions.”

The message from Ankara was unambiguous: attempts to redraw Somalia’s map will meet firm resistance from Türkiye, even as it courts deeper economic and security ties across the continent on terms it says are based on mutual benefit.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.