Deputy Foreign Minister Burhanettin Duran met with top Sudanese officials on Saturday as Türkiye's ties with Sudan continue to flourish.
Duran held meetings in Port Sudan with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chair of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, plus Foreign Minister Ali Yusuf and Finance and Economic Planning Minister Jibril Ibrahim, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. During the meetings, Duran explored ways Türkiye could help peacefully resolve Sudan’s challenges and consulted on technical and humanitarian aid.
Their discussions also covered the ongoing operations of Türkiye’s Embassy in Port Sudan, establishing an office for the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in Sudan and opening a branch of the Turkish Ziraat Bank.
The sources stressed Türkiye’s strong commitment to Sudan’s unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty and stability. Türkiye also reiterated its readiness to provide all necessary support to end Sudan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis and destructive conflict, which has gone on for 20 months, through peaceful means to prevent further bloodshed.
Sudanese Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim affirmed Saturday his government’s commitment to enhancing relations with Türkiye at all levels, particularly in the economic sector. According to the Sudanese Ministry of Finance, his statement came during the meeting with Duran.
It was noted that both sides agreed on the necessity of convening the Joint Ministerial Committee during the first half of the year and working to strengthen that cooperation in energy, agriculture, trade and other economic sectors. The statement said Ibrahim highlighted the "significance of the prompt resumption of Turkish Airlines operations in Sudan."
He expressed his gratitude for the "humanitarian aid provided by Türkiye to Sudan during the ongoing war" and welcomed Türkiye’s initiative to achieve peace in Sudan.
On Dec. 13, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, that Türkiye could also step in to resolve tensions between Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. The fighting has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths and displaced over 14 million people, according to estimates from the U.N. and local authorities.
