Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan completed back-to-back visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week, underscoring Ankara’s efforts to deepen regional partnerships and coordinate positions on crises from Gaza to the Horn of Africa, officials said.
Erdogan arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday, holding talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman focused on expanding strategic cooperation in energy, defence and trade, and coordinating positions on key regional security issues, including the situation in Gaza and tensions in Yemen and Sudan. The Turkish presidency said both sides reaffirmed commitment to enhancing bilateral ties and regional stability.
From Riyadh, Erdogan travelled to Cairo, where he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi co-chaired the second Türkiye-Egypt High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. During their meetings, the two leaders signed a series of partnership agreements spanning defence, health, agriculture and economic cooperation, and pledged closer consultation on diplomatic efforts for a sustainable peace in Gaza. Both emphasised the importance of implementing a durable ceasefire and accelerating humanitarian aid.
Erdogan and El-Sisi also stressed support for Somalia’s territorial integrity amid wider regional tensions following Israel’s controversial recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland, a unilateral move Ankara and Cairo have called unlawful and destabilising. Turkish officials said Ankara, Riyadh and Cairo share opposition to actions that could undermine Somalia’s sovereignty and regional stability in the Horn of Africa.
In recent weeks, Erdogan has publicly condemned Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, calling the move “illegitimate and unacceptable” and warning it could fuel instability across the Horn of Africa. Ankara has reiterated its support for Somalia’s unity and sovereignty and pledged continued political and economic cooperation with Mogadishu.
Turkey has longstanding ties with Somalia, including development assistance, security cooperation and diplomatic engagement that Ankara says contributes to stability efforts in the region. Turkish officials have also emphasised joint positions with Gulf and Arab partners on opposing external interference that threatens regional order.
The diplomatic tour marks Erdogan’s first major foreign trip of 2026, signalling Ankara’s intention to play a more active role in shaping responses to overlapping crises in the Middle East and Africa, while reinforcing economic and strategic partnerships with key Arab capitals.