Sudan is not part of Turkish, Qatari and Iranian axis: FM
December 26, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said his country’s foreign policy doesn’t embrace engagement in “alliances” expressing readiness to forge military cooperation with Turkey or any other friendly country.
The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by a large delegation, on Sunday paid a two-day visit to Khartoum. He was the first Turkish President to visit Sudan.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday in Khartoum, Ghandour said Sudan is willing to engage in “any military cooperation with friendly and brotherly countries”, pointing out that “military arrangements with Turkey are possible”.
He added Sudan and Turkey have signed an agreement that could result in some kind of military cooperation.
“One of the agreements signed between Sudan and Turkey is on establishment of a port at the Red Sea for maintenance of civilian and military ships,” said Ghandour
“Sudan isn’t and won’t be a party to any axis and doesn’t believe in the policy of alliances,” said Ghandour in his response to a question about Sudan’s possible joining of a regional alliance including Qatar, Turkey and Iran.
The Turkish army on Tuesday said its Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar held a tripartite meeting with his Sudanese and Qatari counterparts in Khartoum on the sidelines of Erdogan’s visit.
Ghandour added his country attaches great importance to the security of the Red Sea “especially as Sudan’s Red Sea shores extend to 750 kilometres”, saying “86% of the world oil trade passes through this important water passage”.
The Sudanese top diplomat lashed out at critical comments emitted by some Egyptian media on rapprochement between Khartoum and Ankara and the visit of Erdogan to Sudan.
“I was surprised by the response of some Egyptian media; however we wouldn’t hold the whole Egyptian people responsible for the mistakes of some. Clearly, there are some who don’t understand how relations between nations are run,” he said.
For his part, Cavusoglu agreed with Ghandour on his comments regarding the Egyptian media, saying “the majority of the Egyptian people feel happy about this visit”.
He denied the existence of a Turkish, Qatari and Iranian axis, describing such claims as “mere sedition”.
“We currently enjoy very intimate relations with Sudan, so does that mean there is a Turkish-Sudanese axis?” he wondered.
(ST)