Parliament Speaker Calls Turkish Flag Burnings a 'Foreign Agenda,' Urges Somalis Not to Let Political Disputes Damage Türkiye Ties

Somalia's Parliament Speaker Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama said on September 10, 2026 that the wave of Turkish flag burnings across Jubaland, Puntland and Southwest State in the days following the September 3-4 Doolow drone strike did not reflect genuine Somali public sentiment, calling the protests 'appalling' and attributing them to a 'foreign agenda' tied to 'incoming geopolitical threats' rather than domestic grievance. Speaking at a Mogadishu event marking what he described as a new era in Somalia-Türkiye relations, Jama urged Somalis not to let the country's internal political disputes damage its historic bilateral relationship with Ankara. His remarks followed protests in Kismayo, Afmadow, Doolow and Garbahaarrey over allegations that Turkish drones struck the residence of opposition-aligned Gen. Mahad Abdirahman 'Shub' on September 3-4; the federal government has continued to deny any external strike occurred.