Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Erdogan calls Israeli recognition of Somaliland ‘illegitimate and unacceptable’
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Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, left, shakes hands with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP/Khalil Hamra)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says Israel’s decision to formally recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland is an illegal and unacceptable step, adding that it is trying to drag the Horn of Africa into destabilization.
“Preserving the unity and integrity of Somalia in all circumstances holds special importance in our view. Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is illegitimate and unacceptable,” Erdogan says at a press conference in Istanbul alongside visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Erdogan also says Turkey is planning on starting offshore energy drilling off the coast of Somalia in 2026 as per a bilateral agreement, adding that it is adding two new drilling vessels to its fleet.
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