As Sudan Bleeds, Türkiye Raises Its Voice for Peace

A high-level panel discussion on the ongoing crisis in Sudan took place in Ankara, organized by the Communications Directorate under the theme “Seeking Peace in Sudan: The Conflict in Africa’s Heart.” The event brought together diplomats, academics and civil society representatives to assess peacebuilding pathways amid one of the world’s largest humanitarian disasters.

Delivering the opening speech, Türkiye’s Communications President Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Duran emphasized the universal moral responsibility to address human suffering and described Sudan as an urgent global wound requiring immediate diplomatic attention.

Mr. Duran placed the Sudan conflict within the broader framework of Türkiye’s Africa foreign policy, noting rapid expansion of diplomatic and humanitarian engagement over two decades. He underlined that Türkiye’s interest in Sudan is rooted in both historical brotherhood ties and strategic diplomacy initiatives.

5 Pillars of Türkiye’s Africa Policy

Prof. Dr. Duran outlined the core principles of Türkiye’s Africa engagement:

• Supporting Africa’s economic development and capacity building
• Enhancing security stability, including defense industry cooperation
• Acting as a mediator trusted by African partners
• Engaging with regional organizations beyond bilateral diplomacy
• Adding President Erdogan’s leadership as a fifth pillar for its expanding diplomatic impact

Massive Humanitarian Crisis

According to the speech:

• Nearly 31 million people in Sudan need humanitarian aid
• 9–10 million are internally displaced
• 3 million are refugees in neighboring nations
• The displacement represents one of the largest forced migration crises worldwide

Additionally, the World Health Organization has reported a spreading cholera outbreak across 13 Sudanese states, particularly threatening refugee camps and neighboring countries including Chad, Central African Republic and Ethiopia.

Strategic Maritime Risk

Duran also warned that Sudan’s instability threatens key Red Sea maritime corridors, which are essential to global sea trade and navigation security.

Disinformation War

The Prof. Dr. Duran highlighted the role of disinformation and media warfare carried out by conflict parties, calling Türkiye’s media institutions, particularly TRT and Anadolu Ajansı, models of responsible news coverage on the crisis.

Türkiye’s Commitment

Concluding the speech, Mr. Duran reassured continued diplomatic engagement and highlighted Türkiye as one of the top humanitarian supporters — while also stressing that diplomatic pressure and peacebuilding voices must now rise alongside aid efforts.

He closed with a strong message echoing President Erdogan’s stance:

“Let the Sudanese people be assured — Türkiye stands with them.”