Ankara, January 12, 2026 – The Europe Today: Türkiye on Saturday reaffirmed its strong support for Somalia and stressed its rejection of Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region, describing the move as contrary to international law.
The position was outlined by Turkish Deputy Minister and Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya while chairing the 22nd Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), convened in Saudi Arabia to address Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Kulaklıkaya “emphasized Türkiye’s strong support for Somalia” and “underlined the rejection of Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region as being in contravention of international law.”
During the session, the deputy minister also reiterated Türkiye’s “unwavering support for all international efforts aimed at protecting the rights of the Palestinian people and achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.”
Israel announced on December 26 that it had officially recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, becoming the only country to do so. The decision sparked widespread criticism across the region, with many countries and organizations describing it as illegal and a threat to international peace and security.
Somaliland has functioned as a de facto self-governing entity since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991. However, it has not received international recognition as a sovereign state, with the international community continuing to affirm Somalia’s territorial integrity
