As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to define the moral landscape of the 21st century, Turkey has positioned itself as the preeminent defender of Palestinian rights. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has consistently denounced Israeli military actions, invoked international law, and challenged Western "double standards”. However, beneath this veneer of pan-Islamic solidarity lies a pattern of "selective morality” driven by strategic self-interest.

This inconsistency was laid bare following the historic events of December 26, 2025, when Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland. Ankara's response--a swift condemnation labeling the move as "interference in Somalia's internal affairs” reveals a profound contradiction. While Turkey maintains the right to its own complex, multi-layered relationship with Tel Aviv, it denies the same diplomatic agency to Somaliland, a nation that has maintained democratic stability for over three decades.

Gaza and the Persistence of Trade

Turkey’s rhetoric support for Gaza is unmatched in its intensity, yet the material reality suggests a "managed” recalibration rather than a clean moral break. Despite the official trade suspension announced in May 2024, data from 2025 indicate that Turkish exports to Israel continued via third countries, reaching nearly $394 million in the first half of the year alone. (Turkish Minute, 2025).

For observers in Hargeisa, this indicates that Turkey views its own relationship with Israel through the lens of "strategic necessity”, yet frames Somaliland diplomatic outreach as an ideological betrayal. This gap between Ankara's harsh anti-Israel rhetoric and it is continued economic pragmatism, such as that of Palestine, has become more a tool for domestic populist signaling than a consistent foreign policy priority.

The Spaceport and the Patronage of Mogadishu

Turkey’s role in Somalia is often presented as a moral of "Muslim solidarity.” However, the relationship increasingly resembles a traditional patronage system designed to project Turkish power. In January 2026, Turkey officially broke ground on its Somali Spaceport--an equatorial launch facility in the Jamaame region designed to give Ankara independent access to orbit (SatNews 2026).

This deepening military-industrial entanglement explains Ankara's hostility toward Somaliland's recent developmental gains. Turkey does not merely seek Somalia's unity; it seeks a monopoly of influence over the western shores of the Red Sea. When Turkey condemns the "destabilizing” nature of Israel's recognition of Somaliland, it ignores that its own expansion--including its large overseas military base (TURKSOM), and now a strategic spaceport--is equally transformative for the regional security architecture.

The Kurdish Mirror, and Moral Credibility.

Turkey's claim to moral leadership is further undermined by its domestic record. The systematic repression of Kurdish political movement and the ongoing military operations in northern Syria and Iraq contrast sharply with Ankara's defense of self-determination in Gaza. A government that denies fundamental rights to millions of its own citizens struggles to present itself as a global champion of justice. This internal Kurdish mirror suggests that Turkey supports the statehood and rights only when they serve its own geopolitical ambitions.

Asserting Somaliland's Sovereign Narrative.

In the wake of the December 26th recognition and the subsequent January 6th, 2026, visit of Israeli FM Gidon Sa’ar to Hargeisa, Somaliland must shift its diplomatic from seeking "permission” to asserting Restoration and Sovereignty.

1-The 1960 Successor State: Somaliland must emphasize that its recognition is not "secessionist”, but the restoration of its 1960 status as a sovereign state. By anchoring it is legitimacy in its original colonial borders, it aligns with the African Union's own Charter regarding the sanctity of borders inherited at independence.

2-Sovereign Reciprocity: Somaliland should formally review the operations of Turkish-affiliated office and cultural councils (such as the Maarif Foundation in Hargeisa). If Ankara continues to use its Mogadishu based project power against Somaliland’s interests, Hargeisa is justified in editing the presence of Turkish entities within its borders.

3-Diplomatic Equality: Somaliland must demand that all international actors--including Turkey--interact with it through formal sovereign protocols. The era of "shadow diplomacy” is over; Hargeisa has demonstrated it is a reliable, democratic partner in the volatile region.

In conclusion, Turkey's reaction to Somaliland's recognition reveals a broader pattern of control and contradictions. While Ankara speaks the language of justice, its actions--from its indirect trade with Israel to its spaceport in Mogadishu--tell a story of strategic calculations. For Somaliland, the challenge is to assert its agency with the confidence of a state that has earned its place in the world. For Turkey, the question is more fundamental: can moral leadership be claimed when it is applied selectively?

By: Saleban Dahir Abdillahi (Dogox)

Sal Abdillahi<[email protected]>