On first Horn of Africa trip in 10 years, Erdogan cautions Ethiopia over Somaliland
Turkey opposes Somaliland's recognition to protect its strategic military foothold in Mogadishu and the Red Sea.
ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cautioned Ethiopia on Tuesday against recognizing Somaliland after meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa during his first visit to the Horn of Africa in over a decade.
Details: Erdogan’s visit to the region, his first since 2015, comes as Ethiopia is reportedly mulling whether to follow Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland, according to regional and Turkish news reports. The Jewish state became the first to recognize the breakaway region in December.
“I would like to particularly emphasize our stance … which values the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” Erdogan said during a joint press conference with the Ethiopian leader.
Turkey and Ethiopia also signed several cooperation deals during the visit, including a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation.
