Türkiye continues evacuation from Sudan: Çavuşoğlu

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said on April 24 that a total of 1,380 Turkish citizens and 110 people from 13 countries were taken out of Sudan by busses and they are on their way for evacuation.

Nearly 1,500 people left Sudan by bus, and 640 reached neighboring Ethiopia, while 189 were crossing the border towards Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, Çavuşoğlu said in a televised interview.

“We’re planning our plane route, currently 850 people are still on the road, tomorrow we’re sending the rest of our citizens by bus,” he said.

On April 23 Türkiye launched a repatriation operation in Sudan for Turkish citizens after the clashes erupted between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the country. The Turkish nationals will next take a flight from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to Istanbul.

“The evacuation operation is a bit behind schedule because there is conflict everywhere; we’re tracking it moment by moment,” Çavuşoğlu stated.

The minister said he was in dialogue with his Ethiopian counterpart to ease border crossings.

Çavuşoğlu had a phone talk with his Ethiopian counterpart Demeke Mekonnen on April 24.

He emphasized that Türkiye always had good relations with Sudan, regardless of who is in power.

Stating that Ankara was in constant contact with Sudanese Deputy Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq, Çavuşoğlu said that Türkiye is a brand in evacuation and that many countries have asked them for help to evacuate their citizens in Sudan.