By Zakaria Hassan - Reporter
Turkey, 6 January 2026 Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Somalia’s territorial integrity during a phone call on Monday night with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, following Israel's formal recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
The Turkish presidency said Erdogan told his UAE counterpart that Ankara remains committed to Somalia’s unity and is ready to contribute to efforts aimed at promoting calm and stability.
The high-level discussion comes as regional tensions surge following Israel's Dec. 26 announcement that it had become the first United Nations member state to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign nation.
While the UAE has officially expressed support for Somalia's sovereignty, during recent Arab League sessions, the federation has faced scrutiny from Mogadishu over its deep economic ties with Somaliland.
The call between the two leaders also touched on the conflict in Yemen, with Erdogan reiterating Turkey’s support for Yemeni unity. He also addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling for immediate international action to end the crisis and begin reconstruction efforts.
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Turkey has positioned itself as a primary security partner for the federal government in Mogadishu, maintaining its largest overseas military base there and recently signing agreements to begin offshore energy exploration in Somali waters in 2026.
Erdogan previously described the Israeli move to recognize Somaliland as "illegal and unacceptable," warning that such actions risk dragging the Horn of Africa into further instability.
