Turkish Arms Shipments Land in Port Sudan in Support of al-Burhan

This comes amid reports that Ankara has been providing both military and political support to the Sudanese army, led by al-Burhan, since the start of its conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

..... Bayraktar drones supplied by Turkey have played a significant role in the ongoing war, with the army using them in airstrikes that have largely targeted civilian areas, leading to the deaths of thousands—particularly in Darfur and Al-Jazirah State.

Flight tracking websites have revealed the arrival of two cargo planes belonging to the Turkish Air Force at Port Sudan Airport, which is under the control of the Sudanese army and its allied militias.

The website Flightradar24 showed that the two planes landed in Port Sudan on April 26, having departed from Turkey’s Kayseri and Tekirdağ airports.

The arrival of the aircraft came just days after a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Turkey. According to a statement issued by the Turkish presidency, Erdoğan pledged Turkey’s active participation in the reconstruction of Sudan once the war ends.

The statement noted that Erdoğan and al-Burhan discussed "bilateral relations and regional and international issues during their meeting at the hotel where the Turkish president was staying on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum," as reported by Anadolu Agency.

The presidency's statement added that "Erdoğan expressed his satisfaction with the growing cooperation between Turkey and Sudan," and noted that "Ankara will offer support for reconstruction and normalization efforts in Sudan once the conflict ends."

This comes amid reports that Ankara has been providing both military and political support to the Sudanese army, led by al-Burhan, since the start of its conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Bayraktar drones supplied by Turkey have played a significant role in the ongoing war, with the army using them in airstrikes that have largely targeted civilian areas, leading to the deaths of thousands—particularly in Darfur and Al-Jazirah State.

In addition to direct military support for al-Burhan’s forces, Ankara has also extended political backing to the Islamic movement aligned with him, by offering refuge to influential Sudanese Islamist leaders with deep ties to the army.

Sudanese activists and politicians accuse al-Burhan of facilitating Turkish expansion in the country by granting Ankara economic and investment privileges related to Sudan's natural resources, in exchange for military support in his war against the RSF.

Since April 2023, al-Burhan’s forces and their allied militias have been engaged in a brutal war against the RSF, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths and the displacement of over 15 million people.