Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held telephone conversations with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel-Aty, his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, to discuss the latest developments in Somalia and the evolving situation in the Gaza Strip. Turkish diplomatic sources stated that the calls focused on the latest political and security developments in Somalia, as well as the humanitarian situation and the ongoing escalation in the Gaza Strip.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in the same context, Fidan also held a telephone conversation with the US Senior Advisor for African Affairs, Massad Boulos, during which they discussed developments in Somalia. Earlier on Friday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a statement that Israel had “officially recognized the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.”

The statement noted that the Israeli Mossad “contributed to strengthening recognition between the two sides,” adding: “Prime Minister (Netanyahu), Foreign Minister (Gideon Sa’ar), and the President of the Republic of Somaliland (Abdirrahman Mohamed Abdullahi) signed a reciprocal joint declaration.” It continued: “This declaration comes in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, which were signed at the initiative of US President Donald Trump.”

The Abraham Accords are normalization agreements signed in 2020 between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, under US auspices. Sudan and Morocco later joined. According to the same statement, Netanyahu invited the President of Somaliland to pay an official visit to Israel. He also thanked Sa’ar, Mossad Director David Barnea, and the Mossad “for their contribution to strengthening recognition between the two countries.” There was no immediate comment from the Somali government on the statement from Netanyahu’s office.

The region of Somaliland, which has lacked official recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, acts as an administratively, politically, and militarily independent entity. The central government is unable to exert its authority over the region, and its leadership has not been able to seize full independence. The Somali government refuses to recognize Somaliland as an independent state, considering it an integral part of the Republic of Somalia. It views any deal or direct interaction with Somaliland as an infringement on the country’s sovereignty and unity.