Somaliland Urges Cyprus, Greece to Rethink Recognition as Somalia-Turkey Tensions Rise
Somaliland has urged Cyprus and Greece to reconsider their position on recognition, after Somalia's parliamentary speaker spoke with the head of Turkish-backed Northern Cyprus.
HARGEISA, Somalia (Somali Report) — Somaliland has called on Cyprus and Greece to reconsider their position on recognising the breakaway territory, after Somalia's newly elected parliamentary speaker held a phone call with the assembly speaker of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Somaliland said it stood with the Republic of Cyprus and Greece and warned against what it described as "aggression by Somalia and Turkey", according to Cyprus Mail.
The territory also questioned the decision by Somalia's parliament speaker, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, to communicate with his counterpart in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ziya Ozturkler.
"Cyprus and Greece should undertake a fresh strategic review of the Republic of Somaliland," Somaliland said, arguing that recognition could create new opportunities in diplomacy, trade and security.
The statement followed a telephone conversation between Noor and Ozturkler, who congratulated the Somali speaker on his recent appointment. Nur later thanked the Northern Cyprus parliamentary speaker in a social media post, but subsequently deleted the message.
Somalia's Foreign Ministry on Friday moved to clarify that the country's position on Cyprus had not changed.
The ministry said Somalia continued to respect the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, in accordance with international law and United Nations resolutions.
The clarification came amid concerns that Nur's contact with the Northern Cyprus administration could be interpreted as a change in Somalia's longstanding diplomatic position.
Northern Cyprus declared independence in 1983 but is recognised only by Turkey. The Republic of Cyprus considers the northern part of the island occupied territory, while the United Nations supports a settlement based on a federal arrangement between the two communities.
Somalia and Turkey have maintained close strategic ties for years, with cooperation spanning security, education, health, trade and infrastructure development.
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The Turkish parliament last month approved an extension of the deployment of Turkish forces in Somalia until July 2028. Ankara says its military presence supports Somalia's fight against terrorism, piracy and other security threats.
The deepening Somalia-Turkey partnership has been closely watched by Somaliland, which has sought to strengthen its own international diplomatic ties and secure recognition of its 1991 declaration of independence from Somalia.
Israel recognised Somaliland in December last year, becoming the first state to formally recognise the territory, but no other government has followed suit.
Cyprus at the time said it supported the European Union's position on respecting Somalia's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maintained that Somaliland remained part of Somalia.
The European Union has similarly called for respect for Somalia's unity and territorial integrity while urging meaningful dialogue between Somaliland and Somalia's federal government to address their longstanding dispute.
Somaliland, which has maintained separate political institutions and security forces from Mogadishu for more than three decades, argues that it meets the criteria for statehood and has repeatedly called for international recognition.
The latest dispute highlights the sensitivities surrounding the recognition issue and the competing diplomatic positions involving Somalia, Somaliland, Turkey, Cyprus and Greece.
For Mogadishu, maintaining its position on Cyprus is also consistent with its broader opposition to unilateral changes to internationally recognised borders and its insistence that Somaliland remains part of Somalia.
For Hargeisa, however, the episode has provided an opportunity to press Cyprus and Greece to reconsider their stance and to present recognition of Somaliland as a potential strategic partnership in the Horn of Africa.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.