Burhanettin Duran, the Presidency's Head of Communications of the Republic of Türkiye, Says Türkiye Will Not Tolerate Israel Extending Its Aggressive Regional Policies Into Horn of Africa
On Wednesday, Head of Communications Duran made this statement in his opening speech at the "Panel on Türkiye-Somalia Relations Amid Global Transformation," organised by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications in Ankara, the capital city.
Duran also highlighted in his speech that Türkiye and Somalia's bilateral relations gained "a multidimensional and profound character," particularly after Ankara's Africa initiative launched in 2005.
Noting that relations between the two countries are reinforced by strong humanitarian, historical, and cultural ties, Duran added, "Any attempt targeting Somalia's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity or seeking to legitimise such actions is absolutely unacceptable."
Head of Communications Duran emphasised that Türkiye stands by Somalia today, as it did in the past, and "will never disregard attempts to impose division on Somalia and will not back down from this principled stance."
"For this reason, we are categorically opposed to Israel's move to recognise Somaliland. We reject any attempt by Israel to extend its campaign of genocide in Palestine and its aggressive regional policies into the Horn of Africa, and we will not tolerate such actions," Duran continued.
Moreover, Duran reaffirmed his country's commitment to supporting Somalia's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, noting, "The fate of the Horn of Africa must be determined not by impositions but by peace and stability."
On 26 December, Israel recognised the breakaway region in Somalia as a sovereign state. This move led to a widespread backlash across the region, particularly from the Arab League, which deemed it "an illegal decision endangering international peace and security."
Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, the unrecognised separatist region has operated as a de facto administrative, political and security entity, as the central government has been unable to extend its control and its leaders have failed to secure international recognition of independence.
Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran said that Türkiye’s presence in Africa "disturbs certain countries, because those countries persist in viewing the African continent as a playground for great powers."
Duran also underscored that some of those countries "ignore the continent’s wealth and potential, circulating a narrative centred on crises and chaos, while Türkiye maintains that a narrow reading of Africa fails to capture the continent’s real narrative." He pointed out that attempting to forge the future of the world's nations while neglecting Africa constitutes "a grave strategic mistake."
In his speech, the Head of Communications also referred to Türkiye's recognition as a strategic partner of the African Union in 2008 and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's official visits to 31 African countries.
Stating that their bilateral trade volume has grown from 5 billion USD to around 40 billion USD over the past two decades, Duran emphasised that Turkish institutions are working diligently to implement comprehensive policies in Africa, encompassing investments, humanitarian aid, education, and health programmes.