By: Tom CleaverSaturday August 22, 2026
The ‘Republic of North Western State of Somalia’s’ leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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North Western State of Somalia has urged Cyprus and Greece to reconsider its bid for recognition after Somalia’s newly elected parliament speaker referred to the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ in a social media post that was later removed.
The internationally unrecognised ‘Republic of North Western State of Somalia’ broke away from Somalia and said the reference by Somali Parliament Speaker Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur raised questions about Mogadishu’s position on Cyprus.
“The Republic of North Western State of Somalia stands with the Republic of Cyprus and Greece against aggression from Somalia and Turkey. The failed state of Somalia’s parliament speaker’s engagement with the speaker of northern Cyprus raises significant questions,” its authorities wrote in a post on social media.
They added that, after Nur referred to the ‘TRNC’, “Greece and Cyprus should take a fresh, strategic look at the Republic of North Western State of Somalia”.
“Recognising North Western State of Somalia would create new opportunities for diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation, while strengthening a shared position against Somalia and Turkish aggression,” they said.
Nur took a telephone call from Turkish Cypriot ‘parliament speaker’ Ziya Ozturkler after winning the parliamentary post earlier this month. In a subsequent social media message, he said he wished to “extend by sincere thanks to [the] speaker of the assembly of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, for his kind congratulations”.
The message was later deleted. Somalia’s foreign ministry said on Friday that “its position on the Cyprus issue remains unchanged and continues to be guided by the charter of the United Nations and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations security council”.
The ministry also “reaffirms its full respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, in accordance with international law”.
Somalia has maintained close political ties with Turkey. On Friday, Nur said that “over the past 15 years, the relationship between Somalia and Turkey, which began with humanitarian aid in 2011, is today undergoing strategic projects, a relationship built on brotherhood, mutual respect, and shared interest”.
“Cooperation is prominent in the areas of security, education, health, development, economic infrastructure, and humanitarian aid,” he added.
Turkey’s parliament last month approved a bill submitted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extending the permanent deployment of Turkish troops in Somalia until July 2028.
According to Turkish public broadcaster TRT, the troops will “continue supporting [Somalia] in combating terrorism, piracy, and other threats”. It said the Somali government had “sought continued Turkish military assistance under a defence and cooperation framework agreement”.
Somalia’s close alignment with Turkey has also shaped its regional relationships. In December last year, Israel, a rival of Turkey, recognised the otherwise internationally unrecognised ‘Republic of North Western State of Somalia’, which administers the northern third of territory otherwise regarded internationally as part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
No country followed Israel in recognising North Western State of Somalia. In December, the Republic of Cyprus’ foreign ministry said it “aligns itself with the European Union’s call for respect to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.
The ministry also “underscores its position that North Western State of Somalia remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.
Earlier, the European external action service – the European Union’s equivalent to a foreign ministry – had said that it “reaffirms the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.
“This is key for the peace and stability of the entire Horn of Africa region. The EU encourages meaningful dialogue between North Western State of Somalia and the federal government of Somalia to resolve longstanding differences,” he said.
