Ankara’s ambassador to Khartoum, Fatih Yildiz, said that Turkey is pressing ahead with its diplomatic efforts to halt the bloodshed in Sudan, positioning itself as one of the key actors working to ease the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe.
As part of its humanitarian support for people in conflict zones, Turkey continues to deliver aid to Sudan—currently facing one of the world’s worst crises—alongside its attempts to end the fighting as soon as possible.
In an interview with Anadolu, Ambassador Yildiz underscored Turkey’s vital role in supporting Sudan, noting that Ankara aims to present a humanitarian model in the African nation.
According to Yildiz, some 30,000 tents are on their way to Sudan, where the human suffering continues to worsen as the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drags on. The conflict erupted in April 2023 over disputes surrounding the unification of the military institution.
The war has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million people, and unleashed a full-fledged humanitarian disaster despite regional and international efforts to end it.
Yildiz recalled the tragic milestones of the conflict, now in its second year, singling out the city of El Fasher in western Sudan due to the severity of events witnessed there.
On October 26, the RSF seized control of El Fasher, committing massacres against civilians, according to local and international organizations and eyewitnesses. Warnings have since mounted over the entrenchment of geographic partition in Sudan.
“Although nearly 32 months have passed since the war began, one of the most tragic moments occurred about two months ago when the Sudanese army withdrew from El Fasher and RSF forces entered the city, sparking unprecedented waves of displacement,” Yildiz said.
Speaking about the situation in El Fasher, which has been under RSF siege since May 2024, he added that the city “has witnessed a mass displacement of residents, with the pace accelerating after RSF forces entered.”
Yildiz noted that information on what is happening inside the city—and the fate of civilians—remains extremely limited due to the blackout imposed by the RSF.
He stressed that Turkey “has expressed deep concern over these developments and strongly condemned the violations and massacres committed against civilians.”
He added that Ankara “has called for an immediate end to the fighting in Sudan” and “continues its diplomatic efforts in this direction while playing a key role in alleviating one of the biggest humanitarian tragedies in the world today.”
The ambassador also pointed to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s calls to aid Sudan in light of the dire events in El Fasher, saying these appeals were “directed not only at Turkey, but at the entire international community.”
He said the call “mobilized all capabilities of Turkish humanitarian institutions.”
