The International People Friendship Council (IPFC) has described the forthcoming visit to Sudan by the Turkish President, Receep Tayyib Erdogan as one of the major changes and the wide openness towards the countries of the world following the lifting of the US economic sanctions imposed on Sudan.

The IPFC Deputy Secretary General, Zuhair Hammed Suleiman said the council, after the bi g change, started to reactivate the effective friendship societies by activation of the Sudan-US Friendship Society which resulted in strengthening the openness policy between the American continent and the council where, a people communication plan between the two sides was announced in 2013.

The second station was the establishment of the Woman Friendship Society with the State of South Sudan which opened the way for launching convoys for South Sudan in the context of enrolling the southern Sudanese students in Sudan’s educational institutions in addition to, other five convoys from Uganda, Eritrea, Egypt, Chad and the Central Africa Republic including businessmen, sportsmen and the artists in the context of the people’s communication.

Zuhair has pointed out to the importance of the State of Turkey in the region as a supporter for the people, specially, the Muslims, adding that the IPFC welcomes the historical visit.

“We have effective society in Sudan chaired by Al-Fateh Hussein, one of cadres and leaderships who had strong relations with the Turkish businessmen, students, graduates, companies and intellectuals in addition to, Turkish social organization”He said.

Zuhair has indicated to the society’s activities in Turkey where it organized a Sudanese-Turkish Forum in Turkey, last year, affirming that the council will organize another forum for the Sudanese and Turkish businessmen next, April.

He lauded the State of Turkey for supporting the Islamic issues, particularly, its stances towards the Palestinian Cause and its total rejection to the recent decision of the US President considering Al-Quds as the capital of Israel.

He underlined that the council will stand beside Turkey in one trench to support Islamic people, saying that the council works with the official diplomacy to strengthen friendship among the people. He referred that the Council sponsors an initiative with the BRICS, besides its membership in the committee set up by the Ministry of Finance to receive the Turkish President.

The IPFC Deputy Secretary the council is concerned with the mobilization committee assigned to receive the Turkish Head of State at his arrival, asserting that his council presented an idea for holding intellectual symposium for Ardogan to be attended by intellectuals and university lecturers.

‘The Council has proposed to the University of Khartoum to grant the Turkish Head of State the honorary Doctorate and the university accepted’ Zuhair affirmed.

A report issued by the Ministry of Investment has indicated that the number of the Turkish investment projects in the industrial sector including furniture, aluminum, steel, cement, food stuff, electricity services, mining and exploration topped 288 project.

Concerning the Services Sector, the report showed that the Turkish investment includes road transport, bridges, drilling, constructions, contracting and health services.

For the Agricultural investment sector, the report said it includes animal and agricultural production, putting the volume of the Turkish investment in Sudan, in all sectors, from 2000 to 2017, to 2 billion dollars.

Sudan and Turkey: Deeply-rooted Relations and Fruitful Cooperation

Turkey, during the recent period, has showed growing concern over the development of its relations with Sudan by signing the 2014 Agreement which aimed at the encouragement of investment in the two countries besides, the memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the fields of establishment of Free-Zones and strong economic infrastructure to increase the joint exports, a matter that, paved the way for the Turkish investments in Sudan and starting of foundation of joint projects between the two countries in Sudan.

Turkey's concern over Sudan is not free of the common history of the two peoples. If the Language is the only barrier for establishing the best fraternal relations between the two countries, the brotherly relations established by the association of the True Religion and the Common History will represent strong pillars linking the two peoples.

The roots of joint relation and cooperation between Sudan and Turkey dated back to 450 years when the Ottomans established Suakin city in the eastern part of Sudan in 1555.

The Turkish had clear effects in life in Sudan including agriculture, medical and health services, transport and regular forces, as for the diplomatic ties, it has started in 1981.

The Sudanese-Turkish relations witnessed remarkable development when the Justice and Development Party won the 2002 elections where, the two sides expressed desire to develop these relations to be a forum for Turkish investors in Sudan which produces 90% the Gum Arabic international production besides, oil , gas and the animal and agricultural resources.

The Turkish companies can establish joint projects with Sudan and build the basis for the economic integration between the two countries by forming research institutions assigned to study means for facilitation and accomplishment of the targeted projects making easy the work of financiers concerning money transfers, opening branches of Turkish banks in Sudan and vice versa to facilitate the work of the investors.

The volume of economic exchange between the two sides, according to the 2014 statistics, stand at ova err 500 million dollars. But at the same time there are some 480 tusked companies operating in the Sudan, with a 4000 strong Turkish community in the Sudan, mostly in Khartoum and central Sudan. Within the context of the Sudanese Turkish cooperation it was agreed that a free industrial zone be established in the area north of the sea port of Port Sudan, covering an area of 3 million cubic meters.

Turkish investments in the Sudan:

An understanding was reached with Shahin Company to develop the Ragaba touristic village which lies some 45 km on the coastal area near Port Sudan. Other touristic towns are also to be established there.

The joint Sudanese Turkish agricultural committee is meeting on Sunday on the side line of the visit to the country by president Erdogan. A Turkish high level agricultural delegation is already here, on Saturday, led by the Deputy Minister for Agriculture.
Ismail Fadl Al Mola