The protection of Somalia’s territorial integrity is an important issue for Turkey.
Elchi.az reports that this was stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During a joint press statement with his Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mahmud, the Turkish President stated that Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland’s independence is unacceptable:
“The Benjamin Netanyahu government wants to stir up trouble in this African country after attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Qatar and Syria. Countries in the region, especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the European Union (EU), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League have issued statements rejecting Israel’s decision. US President Donald Trump’s first statement on the issue was also meaningful.”
Quoting Trump’s global peace initiative, Erdoğan said that Turkey supports statements that include the protection of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Any step that does not serve the solution further complicates the problem,” the Turkish President emphasized. He added that the will of the people should be taken into account in all decisions to be made regarding Somalia.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmud thanked Turkey for its support: “Turkey stood by us at a time when Somalia’s territorial integrity was under threat. We also want to protect Somalia from fragmentation and turn it into a strong state.”
He also condemned Somaliland’s recognition by Israel.