Addis Ababa (Somalia Today) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Tuesday that the Horn of Africa risked becoming an “arena of struggle” for foreign powers, calling Israel’s recognition of breakaway Somaliland a threat to regional stability.
Speaking during a visit to Ethiopia, Erdogan urged African leaders to find “indigenous solutions” to their disputes rather than open the door to outside meddling.
The Turkish leader’s comments in Addis Ababa were his sharpest yet since Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognise Somaliland on December 26, 2025.
“We believe that solutions to regional problems should be developed by the countries of the region themselves,” Erdogan said at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
He warned the diplomatic shift would “benefit neither Somaliland nor the Horn of Africa,” while reaffirming Ankara’s support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but had gone without international recognition until Israel’s surprise move—an announcement that has unsettled an already fragile balance around the Red Sea corridor.
Regional rift
Erdogan’s trip comes as rivalries in the strategic region sharpen.
The Israeli decision helped trigger a rupture between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On January 12, Mogadishu annulled all defence and port agreements with Abu Dhabi, accusing the Gulf state of helping drive the recognition bid to expand its maritime reach.
Somalia has since leaned more heavily on Turkey and Qatar for security backing.
Mogadishu recently signed a defence pact with Doha, while Ankara deployed fighter jets to its military training base in Somalia—its largest overseas facility—in a pointed show of support.
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi has meanwhile moved to turn recognition into economic leverage.
In an interview earlier this month, Abdullahi said his administration was negotiating a partnership that would grant Israel access to mineral deposits in exchange for technology and investment.
Erdogan, whose government halted trade with Israel over the Gaza war, described such moves as “counterproductive” for the continent’s long-term stability.
Mediation role
Even as he took aim at Israel, Erdogan used the Ethiopian capital to spotlight Turkey’s mediation efforts.
Ankara recently brokered the “Ankara Declaration” on December 11, 2024, helping cool a separate crisis between Ethiopia and Somalia over sea access.
Tensions flared in early 2024 after landlocked Ethiopia signed a memorandum with Somaliland, which Mogadishu called an act of aggression.
Under the Turkish-brokered deal, both sides agreed to de-escalate and pursue a framework for Ethiopian maritime access strictly “under Somalia’s sovereign authority.”
“Once stability is achieved, we see no obstacle to the Horn of Africa attaining a position that attracts attention with its economic opportunities,” Erdogan said, thanking Abiy for his “constructive engagement” in the talks.
Analysts say Turkey can bridge the divide because it has built strong security ties with Mogadishu and has become Ethiopia’s second-largest foreign investor.
‘Centenary of ties’
The visit coincided with the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Ethiopia.
Ankara opened its first embassy in sub-Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa in 1926, a milestone Erdogan pointed to as proof of a “sincere” and lasting partnership.
“Over 200 Turkish companies are employing approximately 20,000 Ethiopians,” Erdogan told reporters, putting total Turkish investment in the country at $2.6 billion.
Turkish contractors have completed 15 major projects in Ethiopia, ranging from railways and factories to energy transmission lines.
The two leaders also oversaw the signing of a new memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation, which officials said would drive joint projects in renewables and hydropower.
In a symbolic gesture, Erdogan gifted Abiy a Togg, Turkey’s first domestically produced electric vehicle.
‘Shared heritage’
Erdogan also sought to project cultural influence alongside hard economics.
He highlighted the recent restoration of the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque in northern Ethiopia by the Turkish aid agency TIKA.
Completed in 2025, the project renovated what is widely considered the site of Africa’s first Muslim settlement, dating back to the 7th century.
Erdogan also pointed to the Turkish Maarif Foundation, which has expanded its network of schools and language programmes in Ethiopia since 2018, as a key part of “building cultural bridges.”
Closing his address, the Turkish president congratulated Ethiopia’s Muslim community ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
He said Turkey would stand with the region “on the basis of equal partnership and mutual understanding,” as long as African nations resist outside powers trying to pull them into proxy conflicts.
