Turkey provides Sudan with medical, academic assistance

The Turkish Hospital in Sudan's western province of Nyala will be provided with a state-of-the-art medical device worth $1 million later this month, Turkey's envoy to Sudan İrfan Neziroğlu said on Monday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) from the capital province of Khartoum, Neziroğlu also said the number of academic scholarships granted to Sudan by Turkey would be raised from 72 to 139, while 100 medical-treatment grants would be provided each year.

"Our political relationship with Sudan is at its best, although our economic relationship still needs more support," he said.

"Turkey's current approach to Sudan isn't done for our benefit; we're interested in benefiting Sudan first," the diplomat added.

Relations between Khartoum and Ankara have developed rapidly since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Sudan in December last year.

During Erdoğan's visit, the two sides signed 22 agreements across a range of fields.

As of 2017, the total volume of trade between the two countries stood at some $500 million.

This decade, Turkey has shifted its foreign policy from a mere Western-oriented and static approach to one that seeks to balance the West and East, utilizing a more pragmatic approach. Turkey's presence in Africa is particularly in line with Erdoğan's frequently voiced motto "The world is bigger than five." In the end, in order to fight injustice globally, Turkey needs the full support of African states.