Hargeisa, Somaliland – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Turkish Consul General in Hargeisa to seek clarification over a recent meeting in Mogadishu that it claims undermines its security and sovereignty.
In a statement issued Monday, Abdirahman Dahir Adam, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the Consul General was called in following reports that Türkiye’s Ambassador to Somalia, Alper Aktaş, had held talks with an individual whom Somaliland accuses of engaging in activities deemed “a threat to its security and sovereignty.”
While the ministry did not disclose the individual’s identity, officials described the matter as “serious” and urged Ankara to provide an explanation. The ministry emphasized that it expects Türkiye, which maintains diplomatic missions in both Mogadishu and Hargeisa, to act in a manner that respects Somaliland’s concerns.
“This meeting raises legitimate questions regarding Türkiye’s stance towards Somaliland’s stability and sovereignty. We have conveyed our reservations and demanded clarification from the Consul General,” the statement read.
The move comes at a time of heightened political sensitivities in the Horn of Africa, where regional rivalries and shifting alliances are reshaping diplomacy. Somaliland, a self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognized internationally, has long been wary of actions by Mogadishu and its allies that it perceives as attempts to undermine its autonomy.
Türkiye is a close ally of the Federal Government of Somalia, providing military training, development aid, and investment. However, Ankara also operates a consular presence in Hargeisa, a delicate balancing act that has often put it in the middle of Somalia-Somaliland disputes.
Somaliland officials said they expect a formal response from Türkiye in the coming days.
