A diplomatic misstep by Somalia’s newly elected parliamentary speaker initially thrust the Horn of Africa country’s position on the Cyprus issue onto international headlines, prompting an official clarification from the Mogadishu government while giving breakaway Somaliland an opportunity to press its own case for international recognition.
STATEMENT BY THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF SOMALIA
Somalia’s position on Cyprus remains unchanged. Somalia reaffirms its full respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, under the UN Charter and relevant UNSC resolutions. 🇸🇴🇨🇾 pic.twitter.com/396Ql2Z3UB
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇴 (@MOFASomalia) August 21, 2026
The episode, described this week in Ta Nea, began when Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, the new speaker of Somalia’s federal parliament, publicly referred to the Turkish Cypriot administration in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus as the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” and thanked Ziya Öztürkler, whom he described as the entity’s “speaker,” for congratulating him on his election.
The reference was subsequently removed, with Somalia’s foreign ministry quickly issuing a formal statement stressing that the country’s position on Cyprus “remains unchanged” and is based on the UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions.
Somalia reaffirmed its “full respect” for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and specifically cited Security Council resolutions 541 of 1983 and 550 of 1984. It said the parliamentary speaker’s post constituted a personal communication and “does not reflect, nor should it be interpreted as” a change in Somalia’s foreign policy.
The ministry also stressed that Somalia had made no decision to recognize a separate entity in northern Cyprus and reiterated its support for a peaceful, negotiated and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue under the auspices of the United Nations.
Cyprus welcomed the clarification, with foreign ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis saying Somalia had reaffirmed its longstanding position in support of the Republic of Cyprus and the relevant UN framework. He said respect for international law, the UN Charter and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states remained a consistent principle of Cyprus’ foreign policy.
The episode nevertheless created a striking diplomatic irony for Somaliland, the self-declared independent territory in northern Somalia.
Mogadishu has consistently opposed international recognition of Somaliland on the grounds that doing so would undermine Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Yet one of its senior officials appeared, at least rhetorically, to confer the status of a recognized state on another internationally unrecognized secessionist entity.
The Republic of Somaliland stands with the Republic of Cyprus 🇨🇾 and Greece 🇬🇷 against aggression from Somalia and Turkey.
The failed state of Somalia’s Parliament Speaker’s engagement with the Speaker of Northern Cyprus raises significant questions.
Greece and Cyprus should… pic.twitter.com/Pnfy1lA0ci
— REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) August 21, 2026
Somaliland subsequently sought to capitalize on the episode, saying it stood with Cyprus and Greece against what it described as Somali and Turkish aggression and calling for its own international recognition.
The parallel is particularly sensitive for Greece and Cyprus because the Turkish Cypriot administration declared independence in 1983 but is recognized only by Turkey, while the Republic of Cyprus remains the internationally recognized government of the island.
