Riyadh (SPT)– Turkey and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reaffirmed their strong backing for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial unity during talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.
According to a statement issued by Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications on Wednesday, the two leaders underscored their “steadfast support” for the unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, emphasizing the importance of preserving the country’s stability, development, and the well-being of its people.
Both sides also rejected the announcement of mutual recognition between Israeli authorities and Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland region, describing it as a unilateral separatist move that violates international law and risks escalating regional tensions.
Somaliland has operated as a de facto self-governing entity since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991 but has failed to secure formal international recognition. The Somali federal government maintains that the region remains an integral part of its sovereign territory.
The joint position by Ankara and Riyadh reflects a broader regional preference for upholding internationally recognized state borders and opposing unilateral secession. Their stance reinforces the principle of territorial integrity enshrined in international law and signals continued diplomatic resistance to recognition efforts by non-state or breakaway entities in the Horn of Africa.
The statement comes amid heightened geopolitical competition in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa region, where external actors are increasingly engaging with sub-national authorities. Turkey and Saudi Arabia’s coordinated message underscores their intent to play a stabilizing role and to align their regional policies around state sovereignty, particularly in fragile or post-conflict states such as Somalia.
By reaffirming support for Somalia’s unity and rejecting separatist recognition initiatives, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have sent a clear diplomatic signal reinforcing Mogadishu’s position, while highlighting growing regional consensus against parallel political structures in the Horn of Africa.
