In the twenty-first century, colonialism has not disappeared; rather, it has been repackaged. The Turkish state, under the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been in power since 2014, has reintroduced a modern form of colonial domination, one that is carefully framed to appear benevolent and thus escapes both local suspicion and international scrutiny. This new colonialism thrives not through overt conquest, but through strategic dependency, institutional capture, and the silence of a compromised political elite.
Over the past decade, Turkey has entrenched itself deeply within Somalia by cultivating close ties with successive Federal Government leaders. Under the guise of development assistance and Muslim brotherly solidarity, Turkey has gained control over critical national infrastructure, including ports, airports, roads, hospitals, and military facilities. Turkish firms operate and manage these assets, while Turkish funding sustains key government institutions and officials in Mogadishu, effectively making the state financially and politically dependent.
President Erdoğan and his government have carefully framed this involvement as an act of Islamic solidarity, Muslim brothers helping a fellow Muslim nation. However, behind this narrative lie numerous binding agreements signed by weak, desperate, and politically insecure Somali leaders. Eager for international recognition and external support, these leaders accepted contracts heavily skewed in Turkey’s favour, often without transparency, public consultation, or long-term national interest considerations.
Today, Turkey holds exclusive foreign contracts for oil and gas exploration in Somalia, as well as agreements on maritime security and defence cooperation. These deals are strategically designed to give Turkey a foothold in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. While global powers openly compete for influence in this region, Turkey has quietly embedded itself through economic and security arrangements that resemble colonial concessions more than equal partnerships.
Despite these massive investments and revenue-generating operations, Somalia remains impoverished and heavily dependent on foreign aid. The profits from nationally vital infrastructure flow outward, generating millions of dollars annually for Turkish companies, while ordinary Somalis see little improvement in governance, sovereignty, or economic self-sufficiency. The absence of widespread domestic protest and the complacency of the international community have allowed this arrangement to continue largely unchallenged.
What is unfolding in Somalia is not partnership, nor development, but a contemporary form of colonialism, one disguised by religious rhetoric, humanitarian language, and diplomatic symbolism. It serves as a stark reminder that colonial domination in the modern era no longer requires flags and armies alone; it can be achieved through contracts, debt, dependency, and silence.
Why Turkey Is Alarmed by Somaliland’s Recognition?
Turkey’s increasingly agitated response to Israel’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland reveals more than diplomatic displeasure. It exposes a long-held assumption in Ankara’s Horn of Africa strategy: that its dominance in Somalia would remain unchallenged, and that Somaliland, despite more than 34 years of de facto independence, could be ignored, pressured, or quietly contained.
For over a decade, Turkey expanded its political, economic, and security footprint in Somalia, operating under the belief that no external actor would disrupt its influence. Somaliland, by contrast, was largely dismissed as irrelevant. When Ankara did engage, it was mostly through selective mediation efforts aimed at persuading Somaliland to abandon independence and accept reunification with Somalia, often accompanied by promises of economic incentives and political access.
These efforts consistently failed. Somaliland’s leaders, across government and opposition, rejected reunification not out of ideology, but because Somaliland’s political reality fundamentally differs from Somalia’s. Somaliland’s democratic system, peaceful transfers of power, and locally grounded governance are not symbolic achievements; they are the foundation of a distinct political identity that has evolved separately for more than three decades.
Turkey’s inability to bring Somaliland into alignment with its “one Somalia” policy marked a turning point. Frustration gradually gave way to a more confrontational posture. Alongside other regional and external actors, Ankara deepened its support for the Federal Government of Somalia in ways that Somaliland officials argue contributed to instability in Somaliland’s eastern regions, exploiting local grievances and clan tensions. These actions targeted Somaliland’s greatest strength, its peace and internal stability. While similar attempts elsewhere failed due to local resistance, the pressure campaign was unmistakable.
Turkey’s Strategy Unravelled on December 26, 2025.
Israel’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland fundamentally altered the diplomatic landscape. The sharp reactions from Turkey, China, and Djibouti, more pronounced than Somalia’s own response, underscored how much Somaliland’s diplomatic invisibility had served external interests. Israel’s move forced a long-avoided reality into the open.
Somaliland occupies one of the most strategic locations in the world, overlooking the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint. It is also the only functioning democracy in a region increasingly dominated by authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes. This combination makes Somaliland both strategically valuable and politically inconvenient for states that prefer influence without accountability.
The emerging relationship between Somaliland and Israel, framed within the broader logic of the Abraham Accords and backed by shared security and development interests, signals a shift that will be very difficult to reverse. Two political entities have chosen mutual recognition and open cooperation, challenging a regional order built on managed dependency and selective legitimacy.
Turkey’s frustration, then, is not about legal principles or territorial integrity. It is about the loss of monopoly, over access, influence, and a strategic corridor once assumed to be securely within its reach. Somaliland’s recognition disrupts that calculus.
The international community now faces a clear choice: continue enabling quiet dominance through opaque arrangements or engage openly with a democratic state that has demonstrated resilience, stability, and political maturity in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
By Salma A. Sheikh, Chief Editor of The Somaliland Review Magazine