Türkiye emphasised its “strong support” for Somalia on Saturday and stressed its rejection of Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region.

Turkish Deputy Minister Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya made the remarks as he chaired the 22nd Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, convened in Saudi Arabia to address Israel’s decision to recognise the region.

Kulaklıkaya “emphasised Türkiye’s strong support for Somalia, underlined the rejection of Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region as being in contravention of international law,” according to a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

He “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.”

Sharp criticism

Israel announced on December 26 that it had officially recognised Somaliland as an independent state, becoming the only country to do so. The move drew sharp criticism across the region, describing the move as illegal and a threat to international peace and security.

Somaliland has operated as a de facto self-governing entity since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, but it has not received international recognition as a sovereign state.