Puntland’s government asserted control over natural resources within its territory and warned that foreign companies or state-linked entities could not operate in its waters without approval from the regional authorities.
The statement specifically named SOMTURK, a company created under cooperation arrangements between Somalia and Turkey. Puntland said the company could not undertake fisheries investment, coastguard work or other operations on its land or in its territorial waters unless the regional administration first consented. Unauthorised activity would be subject to inspection, investigation and legal enforcement, it added.
Puntland based its position on both its own constitution and Somalia’s 2012 Provisional Federal Constitution. The administration said it possessed the authority to control, manage, explore and use resources across its territory, which includes about 1,600 kilometres of coastline on the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
Its argument centred on the incomplete allocation of powers within Somalia’s federal system. Puntland said federal institutions in Mogadishu could not award concessions or conclude investment agreements covering resources in the region without consulting and securing agreement from Puntland. It pointed to constitutional requirements for negotiation and cooperation between the federal government and member states on natural resources and divided responsibilities.
The statement cited Article 142 of the provisional federal constitution, which Puntland said allowed federal member states to continue using powers established in their own constitutions until the national federal order was fully harmonised. It also invoked Articles 4 and 54 of the Puntland Constitution as the basis for regional ownership and management of resources pending a final federal settlement.
The dispute has direct implications for Somalia’s fisheries partnership with Turkey. Under the cooperation arrangement described in the supplied reporting, SOMTURK manages licensing processes tied to fishing in Somalia’s exclusive economic zone, and fishing permits for Somali territorial waters were expected to pass through the company. Puntland’s declaration challenged the application of that federal arrangement within the areas it claims as its jurisdiction.
Despite the warning, the regional government said it remained open to working with Somalia’s federal authorities, international partners and foreign investors. It conditioned that cooperation on respect for the federal constitutional framework and Puntland’s claimed authority. The statement also supported sustainable investment, conservation, transparency, the rule of law and partnerships that benefit both sides.
Somalia and Turkey have maintained extensive diplomatic, economic and security relations since 2011. Turkish involvement has included humanitarian, infrastructure and development work, more than 150 projects implemented by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, and military training for Somali forces at Turkey’s largest overseas training facility.
Puntland’s action did not end those broader ties, but exposed a continuing constitutional disagreement over who may authorise access to Somalia’s natural resources. The supplied reports did not include a response from Somalia’s federal government, SOMTURK or Turkey to the regional warning.
