By HAN News Desk
ISTANBUL — Former Turkish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has sharply criticized Israel’s reported recognition of Somaliland, warning that the move poses a serious threat to Somalia’s unity and broader regional security.
In a strongly worded statement, Davutoğlu described the recognition as part of what he called Israel’s long-term strategy to weaken Muslim-majority countries through fragmentation and geopolitical encirclement.
“This is not a distant issue,” Davutoğlu said. “It is a dangerous development that carries grave warnings for Somalia, the Horn of Africa and the wider Islamic world.”
He warned that the move could fuel internal conflict in Somalia similar to the war in Sudan and allow Israel to gain strategic access to the Gulf of Aden, particularly the port of Berbera, a key maritime route near the Red Sea.
Davutoğlu also said the recognition would indirectly encircle major regional powers, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and undermine Turkey’s strategic interests in Somalia, where Ankara maintains a major military and diplomatic presence.
Calling the timing of the move “shameful,” Davutoğlu noted it came amid Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, which he described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
He urged the Turkish government to act swiftly by engaging Somalia’s federal government and Somaliland authorities, appointing a special envoy to the region, coordinating with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and mobilizing international organizations including the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League.
Davutoğlu also warned Western governments against supporting Somalia’s fragmentation, arguing that such actions would constitute a “historic crime” with long-term consequences for regional peace.
Somaliland declared independence in 1991 but remains unrecognized by the United Nations and the international community, which continues to recognize Somalia as a single sovereign state.
