Turkish citizens living in Sudan are being evacuated by the Turkish government as clashes between the army and a paramilitary group continue.
The Turkish Embassy in Khartoum released a statement on Sunday saying that it had decided to evacuate Turkish citizens, especially those living in conflict zones, via a third country by land.
"Our citizens who will be evacuated should prefer comfortable shoes and clothes, in accordance with the journey that is expected to take between 22 and 24 hours, and carry their passport and identity documents, as well as hand luggage of up to 8 kilograms (17.64 pounds), including water and food," the statement read.
The embassy also provided the meeting and departure points for citizens as follows: "1st Place: Rotana, Al Salaam Hotel (Departure Time: 6.00 a.m.), 2nd Place: Nur Mosque, Kafuri (Departure Time: 6.30 a.m.), 3rd Place: Wad Medeni (Departure Time: 7.30 a.m.)."
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ensuring the safe evacuation of Turkish citizens from Sudan was a top priority discussed in talks between Turkish officials and Sudanese counterparts, as well as meetings with third countries.
"The necessary preparations were carried out in coordination by our Khartoum Embassy and our Ministry," the statement added.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu also held separate calls with his counterparts from Iran, Albania and Hungary, to discuss the latest situation in Sudan.
The fighting in Sudan has lasted for over a week, resulting in over 300 civilian casualties and over 200 others injured, according to U.N. figures.
Çavuşoğlu discussed the evacuation of Turkish nationals from Sudan with his acting counterpart from Sudan, Ali al-Sadiq, in a phone call on Saturday.
"We are in close contact with the Sudanese authorities and doing our best to evacuate our citizens as soon as possible," Çavuşoğlu said. "Our priority is the safety and security of Turkish citizens in Sudan."
Turkish citizens in Sudan are also being advised to closely follow the WhatsApp groups and social media accounts of the Turkish Embassy for the latest updates on the evacuation process.
