Turkey wants to see Sudan standing on its own feet and making use of its rich resources, the country’s vice president said on Thursday.
“We don’t want to see Sudan in the middle of proxy wars and as a country that cannot realize its potential, but as a country that assesses its rich resources in the best way … and that stands strongly on its own feet,” Fuat Oktay told a news conference along with Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, vice president of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council.
The two addressed reporters in the Turkish capital Ankara following a meeting between delegations from both sides. The Sudanese delegation arrived in Turkey on Thursday on a two-day official visit.
During the meeting, all aspects of Turkey-Sudan relations were discussed, Oktay said, adding that wide opportunities for bilateral cooperation were evaluated as well.
“We see today’s meeting as an important opportunity and beginning for our cooperation in the coming period,” the Turkish official said.
On the US decision to remove Sudan from the list of countries that support terrorism, Oktay called it “a belated step, but a step in the right direction.”
“We are also pleased that the financial and economic sanctions and restrictions that Sudan has been unfairly subjected to for years have been lifted recently,” he added.
- Fruitful meeting
Dagalo, for his part, praised the Turkish nation and the government for always supporting Sudan in every platform and standing by them in the challenging times and crises they go through.
Stating that his visit is the start of many others in the future, he said they had a “fruitful meeting” with Oktay.
Sudan is going through an exceptional period, he said, adding that despite the challenging conditions, they achieved to establish peace in the country.
“Therefore, we made progress with the support of the international community, the US and the countries that stand by Sudan, and with our efforts.
“As one of them, Sudan was removed from the list of countries supporting terrorism,” Dagalo said.
Highlighting his country’s rich resources, Dagalo said it has not reached the level it should be.
The Sudanese government signed a peace agreement last year with opposition groups except for two rebel movements -- one in the western region of Darfur known as the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army led by Abdul Wahid Al Nur and the Sudan Popular Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdel Aziz Adam al-Hilu, from the south in the Nuba mountains region.
The armed opposition SPLM-N rejected the deal because it demanded Sudan do away with sharia law and become a secular, democratic state.
But in March, the government and the SPLM-N signed a roadmap for peace talks and agreed to separate religion from the state. Peace talks between the two sides just began on Wednesday.
