Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells Turkiye not to confuse Somaliland with Somalia with whom it signed an agreement covering security and offshore oil and minerals exploration
The ministry’s warning comes after Turkey announced plans to send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia later this year to search for oil and gas as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation deal between the two countries.
“We will send our Oruc Reis vessel at the end of September, or early October to Somalia. It will conduct a significant seismic study there, which can last for months,” Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar was quoted as saying.
Subsequently, President Tayyip Erdogan submitted a motion to the Turkish parliament last week seeking authorization for the deployment of the Turkish military to Somalia including the country’s territorial waters.
But the statement from Somaliland’s Foreign minister said: “These zones are delineated clearly under international law and are essential to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Somaliland.”
“Any unilateral action by external entities, such as the reported intention of Turkish naval forces to operate in Somaliland maritime zones, constitutes a grave violation of international law and Somaliland’s sovereign rights. Such actions undermine regional stability and contravene the spirit of peaceful coexistence among neighboring states,” the statement further said.
Somaliland also called upon the international community “to respect and uphold the sanctity of its maritime boundaries. It emphasized the need for all parties to engage in dialogue and respect established international legal frameworks governing maritime territories.”
In February this year, Turkey and Somalia signed defense cooperation in the wake of Somalia’s rejection of the memorandum of understanding signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland earlier in January.
