HARGEISA, Somaliland – Somaliland has summoned Turkey’s top envoy in Hargeisa, accusing Ankara of “interference and destabilizing actions” after a meeting in Mogadishu that it says undermines its sovereignty.
In a statement dated August 18, 2025, Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry said it had called in Turkey’s Consul General to demand a “formal and urgent explanation.” The move followed reports that Turkey’s ambassador in Somalia met with an individual described by Hargeisa as hostile to Somaliland.
Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aadan voiced the government’s position, condemning the Turkish ambassador’s decision to host Suldan Abubakar Wabar, a traditional elder from Awdal who previously led an armed rebellion inside Somaliland, particularly in the Borama area.
Wabar, long a controversial figure, spearheaded the “Awdal State” insurgency in 2015. While his fighters later surrendered to Somaliland authorities, Wabar fled, and the movement’s activities largely subsided.
Earlier this month, he made an unannounced trip to Mogadishu, where he met senior Somali officials, including Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi. Fiqi, posting a photo with Wabar on X (formerly Twitter), declared that “the time of Awdal has come” — a remark widely seen as signaling possible federal support for Awdal groups opposed to Somaliland’s rule.
Somaliland officials view Turkey’s engagement with Wabar in Mogadishu as a direct affront. “The Government of Somaliland considers this act deeply troubling and unacceptable,” the ministry said. “It damages mutual respect and contributes to instability in the Horn of Africa.”
The statement warned that Somaliland “will not tolerate actions that compromise its sovereignty, security, or national interests.”
Ankara has not yet issued a public response.
Turkey has invested heavily in Somalia for over a decade, providing humanitarian aid, economic support, and military training. Its Camp TURKSOM near Mogadishu, the country’s largest overseas base, has trained much of the Somali National Army — cementing Ankara as a central player in Somalia’s stability but complicating ties with Somaliland.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the central government collapsed. It has since maintained its own democratic institutions, army, and currency, enjoying relative peace and stability. But despite more than three decades of self-rule, no country has formally recognized its independence.
That lack of recognition — coupled with the close relationship between Turkey and Mogadishu — fuels frustration in Hargeisa. The latest flare-up adds to tensions in the Horn of Africa, a region critical to global trade through the Gulf of Aden.
The international community will be watching closely to see whether Ankara moves to ease the standoff or risks deepening divisions in an already fragile region.
