Politics
Türkiye, Sudan reaffirm ties during political consultation talks
Türkiye and Sudan held the ninth round of political consultations on Tuesday in the eastern Sudanese city of Port Sudan, as both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and supporting efforts to resolve Sudan’s ongoing crisis.
Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklıkaya traveled to Sudan for a series of high-level meetings, including talks with Malik Agar, deputy chairperson of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council.
The consultations were hosted by Sudan’s Foreign Ministry and co-chaired by Kulaklıkaya and Muawiya Osman Khalid, the ministry’s undersecretary. Following the meeting, Kulaklıkaya was also received by Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohyiddin Salim.
The talks were held behind closed doors and attended by Türkiye’s ambassador to Khartoum, Fatih Yıldız.
Speaking to reporters after the meetings, Kulaklıkaya described the consultations as “highly productive,” noting that both sides exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional developments.
“Türkiye and Sudan share deep historical ties, and our relations continue to progress positively across many fields,” he said, adding that both countries aim to support each other in economic, cultural and political areas.
Kulaklıkaya emphasized the importance of maintaining regular high-level engagements, saying such visits play a crucial role in advancing bilateral relations.
“We underlined the importance of today’s political consultations and the need to hold them more frequently,” he said. “We also expressed our determination to continue these engagements and to host our Sudanese counterparts in Türkiye in the near future.”
He added that discussions also focused on efforts to find a solution to Sudan’s ongoing crisis through bilateral, regional and international initiatives.
Türkiye, Sudan ties
Türkiye and Sudan have maintained close relations based on mutual cooperation and a shared commitment to further developing ties. Historical and cultural connections have long supported the multidimensional nature of the partnership.
Ankara has consistently emphasized the importance of preserving Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. It has also called for a peaceful and lasting resolution to the conflict that erupted on April 15, 2023, warning that continued instability poses risks to regional and global security.
Despite ongoing clashes, high-level contacts between the two countries have continued. Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chair Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited Türkiye on Dec. 25, 2025, where he held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.
Türkiye has also continued its diplomatic efforts and humanitarian assistance aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people and supporting long-term stability in the country.
Only four days after Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Damascus, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in Ankara for talks.
No details were released about the content of the talks, but the visit signals rapidly advancing collaboration between the two neighbors.
Turkish-Syrian relations, frozen during the civil war, took a new turn after forces led by incumbent President Ahmed al-Sharaa led a revolution in December 2024 to overthrow the oppressive regime of Bashar Assad, a close ally of Russia. Within one year, Ankara-Damascus ties gained an unprecedented momentum, with deals serving the interests of both countries.
During his visit to Syria on Sunday, Fidan also attended a trilateral summit with al-Sharaa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who flew to the Syrian capital aboard a plane lent by Türkiye he visited on Saturday.
Syria, like Türkiye, strived to stay away from the U.S.-Israel-Iran war despite their close proximity to the conflict that began on Feb. 28. The conflict appears frozen for now with a cease-fire in place, but the two neighbors remain at risk of spillover of violence.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara is intensifying efforts for lasting regional stability through coordinated action with its neighbors, while warning against Israel’s attempts to undermine diplomatic initiatives, during a joint news conference in Ankara with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
Speaking in the capital Ankara, Fidan stressed that Türkiye views its security and stability as complementary to Syria’s, highlighting the importance of close cooperation amid escalating regional tensions.
He noted that recent developments have required greater coordination among regional actors, as conflicts continue to test the region’s resilience. Referring to the U.S. and Israeli-led war against Iran that began on Feb. 28, Fidan said it has posed one of the most serious challenges in recent history, with global repercussions.
Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has maintained close diplomatic engagement with neighboring countries and international partners to help end the conflict, he added, welcoming a cease-fire reached with the support of Pakistan’s initiative.
Fidan underscored that upcoming talks in Pakistan will require a constructive, flexible and patient approach from all sides, urging actors to draw lessons from recent crises.
He also warned against Israel’s actions aimed at sabotaging negotiation efforts, calling for a calm and rational response while stressing that the international community must remain vigilant.
“Israel is carrying out its genocide in Gaza into Lebanon,” Fidan said, expressing hope that a cease-fire would become permanent and extend to Lebanon as well.
Highlighting broader regional dynamics, Fidan voiced support for normalization efforts between Iran and Gulf countries, emphasizing the need to establish a durable peace and security architecture.
Turning to Syria, he described the country’s stability as a cornerstone of the region, noting that the Syrian people have endured 14 years of conflict and made significant progress toward political and economic reconstruction following what he called a historic turning point in December 2024.
Fidan said Türkiye’s recent engagements with Syria are driven by the goal of shielding the country from ongoing regional crises and ensuring long-term stability.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş confirmed Parliament has a say in by-elections under the Constitution, as the main opposition pushes for it, while the ruling AK Party downplays the need.
Kurtulmuş’s remarks on Thursday come after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ruled out the possibility of a by-election or an early vote.
The speaker said on Thursday that decisions on by-elections fall solely under the authority of the Turkish Parliament and must comply strictly with constitutional provisions.
“The rules for by-elections are clear,” Kurtulmuş said, emphasizing that any decision requires approval by the General Assembly of Parliament and that the speaker’s office holds no discretionary power in initiating such a process.
Most recently, after the Cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdoğan also rejected speculation about early elections, accusing the opposition of attempting to create an artificial political agenda.
“Neither our government nor our nation has early or by-elections in its near-term political plans,” Erdoğan said. He added that the administration remains focused on economic growth and shielding the country from regional instability.
Türkiye is navigating a complex geopolitical environment marked by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Erdoğan noted, stressing that the government’s priority is to maintain stability and strengthen the economy rather than engage in what he described as “manufactured debates.”
In contrast, opposition leaders reiterated calls for elections, arguing that the country needs to return to the ballot box.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel also said Thursday that he would support both early general elections and simultaneous local elections.
“If necessary, we are ready,” he said, proposing that municipal councils could resign collectively to trigger new votes.
Özel made the remarks following a meeting with Good Party (IP) leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu at the party’s headquarters in Ankara. The two leaders also discussed the economic impact of recent regional tensions, including attacks on Iran, and shared a report outlining proposed measures.
Dervişoğlu signaled his party’s support for any election scenario. “If there is a vote on by-elections, we would vote ‘yes,’” he said.
Under the Turkish Constitution, elections are held every five years, and adjusting this schedule requires a constitutional amendment. An early election, however, can be possible if other parties agree and if Parliament undergoes a reshuffle. If the number of lawmakers falls by 5%, or 30 deputies, Parliament is obliged to call elections for those constituencies within three months. Eight seats are currently vacant in Parliament for various reasons, and media outlets reported that the CHP may propose the resignation of 22 of its Parliament members to widen the gap, but such resignations can only be accepted by a decision of the General Assembly. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which holds a majority in Parliament, will be decisive as well.
The CHP has been pushing for an early election since the arrest of its mayor in Istanbul on charges of corruption, though the government has dismissed the calls for rescheduling of the 2028 general election.
Şahin Biba, a candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), was elected as the acting mayor of Türkiye’s fourth-largest city, Bursa, on Thursday, days after his predecessor was arrested on charges of corruption.
A municipal assembly member, Biba secured 61 votes in the third round of the election in the northwestern province. The vote was marred by riots instigated by members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Biba succeeds Mustafa Bozbey of the CHP. Authorities banned entry to the city hall during the election as assembly members cast their vote, but CHP officials attempted to force their way into the building, confronting riot police. Some 200 people broke a glass door leading to the second floor of the building after making their way into the building through a parking garage.
Speaking after the election, Biba called “everyone to respect the democratic process and the public will be reflected in the election.”
“You have to respect the will of the majority,” he said, pointing out that the People’s Alliance of the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) retained it at the assembly.
Bursa has been a traditional stronghold of the AK Party since 2004. Bozbey, formerly a member of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), which governed the city before the start of the lengthy AK Party tenure, won the 2024 elections. He was detained along with dozens of others on charges of running a criminal organization, bribery, money laundering and zoning violations. After his arrest, he was fired from the office, necessitating a by-election.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by phone with Kuwait’s foreign minister, Sheikh Jarrah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, on Thursday to discuss regional developments and the latest situation surrounding a temporary cease-fire, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
The sources said the two officials exchanged views on ongoing tensions in the region and recent efforts aimed at maintaining the cease-fire and preventing further escalation.
No further details of the conversation were immediately disclosed.
Fidan has continued an intense round of telephone diplomacy over the past weeks with multiple counterparts, as well as regional and international officials, aiming to end the conflict since it broke out on Feb. 28 following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Moreover, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently held a series of calls with more than 20 world leaders to support a cease-fire in the Iran conflict and push for lasting regional stability.
He also spoke with leaders from the Gulf and Muslim world, including Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Erdoğan also held talks with Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sudan’s Sovereignty Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The calls were part of an intensive diplomatic effort to prevent further escalation following Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation, and to ensure the cease-fire evolves into a sustainable peace process.
Türkiye on Wednesday said it detained nearly 200 suspects linked to the Daesh terror group in nationwide raids, a day after three armed attackers launched an extended gun battle with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek posted on X that officers had arrested 198 suspects in a simultaneous operation in 34 provinces against “the terrorist organization Daesh”.
A gunman was killed and two others wounded in Tuesday’s shootout with police outside the consulate, with two officers lightly wounded.
Twelve of those arrested have been placed in pre-trial detention, including the two wounded gunmen, who were hospitalized, according to the justice ministry.
No group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s shootout.
Turkish media reports said the gunman who was killed was a 32-year-old man linked to Daesh.
The interior ministry said he had ties to a “terrorist organization”, and that the two wounded gunmen were brothers with links to drug trafficking.
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