Turkish experience in Sudan: making a difference


Date posted: February 12, 2011

ABDULLAH BOZKURT

Turkish volunteers also established what many here say is a very accomplished school in the capital, nurturing and educating future generations of Sudanese who will be keen to maintain friendly ties between the two nations.

I was not planning to end up in Darfur last week when I booked the flight to Ankara from Strasbourg, where I covered the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In fact, the next day, I was already scheduled to depart for Egypt to meet with the prime minister, foreign minister and other Egyptian officials until I got a last-minute call during a short layover in Munich for a connecting flight.

An official on the phone from the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara was advising me to delay my departure until the dust settled in his homeland.

While I was ready to relax and planned to take the week off, I got another call, this time from the office of State Minister Faruk Çelik, asking me if I was available to travel with the minister to Khartoum and then to Darfur. In an instinctive response, I said yes to a trip that would take me not to Egypt but to its neighbor across the southern border. I thought this would give me a chance to see the situation on the ground in Darfur. Well it did.

Despite all the criticism and the occasional outcry leveled at Turkish foreign policy vis-à-vis Sudan, some of which I share as well, one thing was made clear to me during this trip: Turks are really making a difference on the ground in Darfur no matter what critics say. Both the government-run Red Crescent Society and nongovernmental organizations like Kimse Yok Mu from Turkey are working hard on a daily basis to improve the lives of war-fatigued Darfur residents, numbering around 4 million.

One volunteer at the Red Crescent was telling me that Turks are the only ones who can wander the streets of Darfur without any fear of attack or provocation. The people of Darfur in particular and the Sudanese in general seem to have opened up their hearts to Turks, who apparently came to these people for no other reason than that of extending a helping hand to citizens in this struggling country. For example, the trust built up over time with Turkish doctors really made the field hospitals run by Turks one of the most attractive centers for those who seek treatment. The rumors of experimental trials run by Western drug companies still linger in the streets of Darfur.

There are many success stories here that could make intriguing news pieces. One businessman was telling me how he dodged a traffic ticket when police found out that he was Turkish, and others were recalling different tales, all showing the warmth of the Sudanese people for Turkish expats living and working here. Turks have been able to convert this goodwill into successful enterprises as well by recently winning a number of lucrative state contracts to build a highway, bridges and part of the new airport.

Turkish volunteers also established what many here say is a very accomplished school in the capital, nurturing and educating future generations of Sudanese who will be keen to maintain friendly ties between the two nations. The school, established in 1999, quickly turned out to be a very successful institution, ranking fourth among close to 800 private schools operating in the capital of Khartoum. Kimse Yok Mu is also planning to establish a school with a capacity of 600 students in the capital of Darfur near the airport. They have already acquired the land and drawn up projects, and soon they will break ground, I have been told.

Not only at the leadership level, but there is a sense of a strong bond with Turkey among the average people as well. It has been demonstrated time and again as Turkish State Minister Çelik made appearances with locals on a couple occasions. At the groundbreaking ceremony for a hospital building in Nyala, the event presenter was reminding the audience of the historical fact that they are the descendents of the Ottomans who once ruled this region in the 17th century. There are historic buildings around Khartoum that include a mosque built by the Ottoman governor of the time. In reciprocal remarks, Çelik thanked the Sudanese people for their support for the Ottoman Turks during World War I, vowing their contribution would never be forgotten.

 

Source: Today's Zaman , 08 February 2011


Related News

Turkish-Kyrgyz educator’s abduction shows Ankara’s ruthless disregard for law: HRW

The abduction, forcible disappearance and extrajudicial transfer of educator Orhan İnandı to Turkey by Turkish and Kyrgyz authorities amount to egregious violations of international and domestic law, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.

Kimse Yok Mu lends helping hand to Guinean families during Ramadan

The Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) has been providing aid to 3,000 families in the African country of Guinea during the holy month of Ramadan and has also been organizing iftars (fast-breaking dinners) in various parts of the country each evening. A large iftar event was organized by the Kimse Yok Mu […]

Liberia: Turkish School to Remain Open

The Government of Liberian says the Turkish Light International School System remains a private institution of learning in Liberia and enjoys all the privileges provided all educational institutions operating in the country until it concludes an investigation into allegations that operators of the school here were linked to a failed coup in Turkey.

Top union: Closing prep schools to leave 60,000 jobless

Turkey’s largest business confederation, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), has said a government plan to shut down private exam preparatory schools (dershanes) will leave an estimated 60,000 teachers at these institutions jobless while causing financial losses to investors.

Students from Turkish Schools in Thailand Visited the Minister of Trade at His Home

A group of teachers and students from Turkish schools in Thailand, who participated in various international Olympiads, visited the minister of trade Mr. Boonsong Teriyapirom at his home. Yusuf Can Bektas, who is in charge of the Olympiads among Turkish schools in Thailand, Raneenat  Chaiwong, the representative of Fatih Koleji ( Whichai Wittaya) and Arif […]

Students from around the globe spread the idea of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’

More than 400 students from 17 nations assembled in New Delhi on May 7 for the 14th International Festival of Language & Culture (IFLC 2016) which had the premise ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The world is one family)’ to spread the message of global peace and cultural harmony.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Canadian institute honors Kimse Yok Mu

81-year-old man sentenced to 10 years in jail over Gulen link

Canadian Globe Editorial- It just gets worse in Turkey

Daniel Skubik on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement

Egypt’s Turkish schools reject Akşam and A Haber TV reports

‘Mission impossible’ for Turkey’s ambassadors

Turks Fleeing a Crackdown Find Haven in Albania

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News