Turkish, Sudanese leaders follow visit with declaration

By Enes Kaplan and Ilkay Guder

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two-day visit to Sudan this week marked a major advance in boosting bilateral relations, said a declaration issued in the wake of Erdogan’s landmark visit.

The Tuesday declaration by the Turkish and Sudanese presidents also hailed the foundation of a high-level strategic cooperation council as a concrete step towards stronger bilateral ties.

The council seeks to formulate strategies in areas of cooperation, and it will be co-chaired by the presidents of both countries, the declaration said.

“Within the council, a Joint Strategy Planning Group, under the chairmanship of both country’s foreign ministers, was founded and it aims to develop bilateral relations and cooperation even more,” it added.

During Erdogan’s visit, said the declaration, bilateral agreements were signed to strengthen ties in such fields as science, technology, industry, agricultural production, forestry, education, tourism, the environment, radio and television, small and medium sized enterprises, mining, trade, and the economy.

The declaration also said the Turkish and Sudanese leaders pledged to support each other in international forums, in light of the countries’ similar stances on international and regional issues.

Erdogan's official visit to the Horn of Africa country, the first by a Turkish president, was welcomed by his Sudanese counterpart, who said it would boost bilateral relations.

It was the first stop on Erdogan’s current African tour, followed by Chad and Tunisia.