The classic Somali proverb rings truer than ever in this moment: Someone rushes in shouting, “He insulted you!” only for the reply to come coolly, “We were already enemies anyway, bro!”
That’s precisely the vibe surrounding the latest TRT Afrika video—a slick, dramatic piece recycling old conspiracies about covert Israeli military bases, cyber operations, resource plunder in the Red Sea, and even dredging up a long-forgotten 1940s proposal for Jewish resettlement in British Somaliland and Ethiopia’s Harar region. It’s presented as explosive proof of some shadowy colonial revival in 2026. But for Somalilanders, this isn’t breaking news; it’s the same tired Mogadishu lobby script, amplified by Turkish state media, that’s been looping for two decades.
Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state on December 26, 2025—announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and formalized in a joint declaration—marked a genuine diplomatic earthquake. As the first UN member state to do so, Israel acknowledged Somaliland’s de facto independence since 1991: a stable, democratic republic with regular elections, functioning institutions, and a track record of peace in a turbulent region. Somaliland’s leaders hailed it as historic validation, with celebrations in Hargeisa and even the Israeli flag projected in public spaces. The move aligns with potential Abraham Accords expansion, strategic Red Sea access via ports like Berbera, and mutual security interests amid piracy, terrorism, and shipping threats.
Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry swiftly shut down the wilder claims in the TRT piece. No Palestinian resettlement schemes from Gaza. The engagement is straightforward: sovereign-to-sovereign cooperation respecting international law. Facts over fantasy.
This fury reveals more about Turkey’s own deep footprint in Somalia than anything else. Over the past decade, Ankara has turned Somalia into a key Turkish outpost hub: operating the largest overseas Turkish military base (Camp TURKSOM) in Mogadishu, training thousands of Somali soldiers, managing the Port of Mogadishu and Aden Adde Airport, securing massive infrastructure contracts, and signing defense pacts that grant naval access and joint operations. Most strikingly, a December 2025 fisheries agreement handed sweeping control of Somalia’s rich exclusive economic zone—among the world’s most abundant fishing grounds—to a company tied to Turkey’s military pension fund (OYAK), centralizing licensing, monitoring, and regulation while promising Turkish fleets prime access. Add hydrocarbon exploration deals and port leases, and the pattern is clear: billions invested, but often with limited trickle-down stability for ordinary Somalis.
When Israel’s recognition cracked the door open for Somaliland’s legitimacy, it directly challenged this arrangement. Turkey’s loud protests—from Erdoğan down to Foreign Ministry spokespeople—suddenly look less like principled defense of Somali unity and more like alarm over a rival power eroding Ankara’s influence in a strategically vital zone. The same state media ecosystem (TRT included) that amplifies anti-Somaliland narratives stays notably quieter about its own extensive resource and security entanglements.
The real irony? Turkey maintains robust trade and diplomatic ties with Israel itself, even amid public rhetoric. Lecturing Somaliland on sovereignty while embedding so deeply in Mogadishu’s affairs highlights a glaring double standard.
For Somaliland, none of this is new. Decades of smears, AU threats, Arab League pressure, and paid disinformation campaigns have failed to erase the reality: a self-governing democracy that has built peace from scratch, held off extremism, and earned recognition through facts on the ground. Israel’s step shatters the illusion that Somaliland can be perpetually sidelined.
The panic from detractors? Let them run with it. Somaliland isn’t pleading for approval—we’re defending our hard-won peace, institutions, and right to self-determination. This recognition is the first real breach in the wall of denial. More will follow because sustainable progress and democratic reality always outlast propaganda.
Long live the Republic of Somaliland! No myths, no resettlement schemes—just unstoppable forward momentum.
