Turkish warship docks in Sudan seaport

A Turkish warship has docked at the Red Sea coastal city of Port Sudan as part of a regional tour, Turkish and Sudanese media reported.

This is the second time a Turkish warship has docked on Sudan’s Red Sea coast after the Barbaros naval vessel visited Port Sudan last June as part of an African tour that included 24 countries.

The visit will last for two days, during which joint military drills and athletic activities will be held.

“[Turkish naval vessel] TCG Buyukada F-512 was welcomed by a number Sudanese naval officers along with the military attaché of Turkey’s embassy in Khartoum,” Sudan’s pro-government Al-Shorooq TV reported.

The ship’s captain, Ali Tuna Baysal, said that “the arrival of TCG Buyukada F-512 to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast comes within the framework of developing relations between Khartoum and Ankara, especially in the military field.”

“TCG Buyukada F-512 began its regional tour three months ago, which included 11 ports in seven countries; including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Djibouti,” the Turkish embassy said in a statement.

Since Turkey’s Justice and Development Party gained power in 2002, relations between Ankara and Khartoum have seen a significant improvement, and Turkish investments in Sudan have risen to nearly $2 billion.