Türkiye has taken another step toward strengthening its military and technical partnership with Sudan, focusing on the development of naval infrastructure along the Red Sea coast.

According to an announcement issued by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense on November 9, 2026, a delegation representing the Turkish Naval Forces Command and the General Directorate of Shipyards visited Sudan to assess facilities at Port Sudan Naval Base.

The visit, reportedly conducted between November 2 and 5, included inspections of ship repair workshops and the naval base's slipway facilities.

The primary objective was to support efforts to improve the Sudanese Naval Forces' shipbuilding capabilities and examine opportunities for further technical cooperation.

The mission reflects continuing engagement between Ankara and Khartoum in military education, naval engineering and defense infrastructure development.

Turkish delegation inspects naval facilities in Port Sudan

During the visit, Turkish military and technical representatives conducted on-site inspections of maintenance and repair workshops and the slipway at Port Sudan Naval Base.

These facilities are essential components of naval infrastructure, enabling vessels to undergo maintenance, repair and technical inspections.

Developing domestic ship repair and maintenance capabilities can help naval forces sustain the operational readiness of their fleets while reducing dependence on external repair facilities.

The Turkish delegation's assessment could provide a basis for identifying areas where technical expertise, infrastructure improvements and future modernization initiatives may be needed.

However, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense has not announced a specific warship construction contract, a new naval shipyard agreement or a detailed modernization timetable resulting from the visit.

Meeting with Sudanese Naval Forces Commander

In addition to the technical inspections, the Turkish delegation paid an official courtesy visit to Sudanese Naval Forces Commander Vice Admiral Mahjoup Bushra Ahmed Rahman.

The meeting marked another direct engagement between the naval institutions of the two countries.

The Turkish Defense Ministry identified the improvement of Sudan's shipbuilding capabilities as the central purpose of the mission.

The engagement also highlights the potential for greater technical exchanges between Turkish naval engineering institutions and their Sudanese counterparts.

Such cooperation could become particularly important as Sudan seeks to maintain and develop its maritime defense infrastructure amid the country's ongoing security challenges.

Turkish naval engineers already engaged in Port Sudan

The latest visit follows remarks by Turkish Naval Forces Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Erhan Aydın regarding Türkiye's technical engagement with Sudan.

Speaking at a reception in Ankara on November 3 to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Aydın confirmed that a delegation of Turkish naval engineering officers was in Port Sudan to work on improving the Sudanese Navy's shipyard capabilities.

His remarks provided further context for the technical cooperation subsequently announced by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.

The deployment of naval engineering specialists highlights a practical dimension of bilateral defense cooperation, extending beyond diplomatic exchanges to technical assessments and professional expertise.

While the precise scope of any future modernization program remains undisclosed, the presence of Turkish engineering personnel underscores the importance both countries attach to developing Sudan's naval infrastructure.

Nearly 200 Sudanese military personnel training in Türkiye

Military education remains another significant component of Turkish-Sudanese defense relations.

During the November 3 reception, Vice Admiral Erhan Aydın disclosed that approximately 200 members of the Sudanese Armed Forces were receiving training at military institutions and facilities in Türkiye.

He also stated that more than 40 Turkish military personnel had undertaken Arabic language training in Sudan.

These exchanges demonstrate the institutional nature of military cooperation between the two countries, combining professional development, technical expertise and long-term personnel engagement.

Aydın emphasized Türkiye's commitment to maintaining and expanding cooperation with Sudan, expressing Ankara's willingness to continue providing support in areas where assistance is needed.

Port Sudan's strategic position on the Red Sea

Port Sudan occupies a significant geographical and economic position as Sudan's principal maritime gateway to the Red Sea.

The city is essential to the country's international trade and maritime connections and also hosts important naval facilities.

Its strategic significance has increased since the outbreak of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023.

The fighting disrupted economic activity, transport networks and public infrastructure across the country, leading several government bodies and diplomatic missions to relocate their operations to Port Sudan.

Türkiye temporarily transferred its embassy operations from Khartoum to Port Sudan in May 2023, maintaining a diplomatic presence inside Sudan despite the ongoing conflict.

Against this backdrop, the development of domestic naval repair and maintenance capabilities represents an important area of potential cooperation.

Improved infrastructure could strengthen Sudan's ability to sustain its maritime assets while supporting longer-term efforts to develop technical capabilities.

Maritime cooperation expands beyond military infrastructure

Türkiye and Sudan are also pursuing broader cooperation in commercial ports, maritime investment and logistics.

On October 18, Turkish Ambassador to Sudan Fatih Türker Oba met with Sudan's Sea Ports Corporation Director-General, Jelani Mohamed Jelani, in Port Sudan.

The discussions addressed investment opportunities in port infrastructure, the blue economy and potential future projects.

A further development was reported on November 8, when Sudan's Sea Ports Corporation and Suakin Petroleum signed an agreement to finance, construct and operate a specialized liquefied natural gas marine terminal in Suakin.

Suakin Petroleum is a joint venture involving Turkish company Argaz and Sudanese company Petrodar.

The commercial terminal project is separate from the Turkish naval delegation's technical mission. Nevertheless, the two developments illustrate the broader range of maritime and port infrastructure activities linking Türkiye and Sudan.

A developing defense partnership

Türkiye and Sudan have maintained diplomatic, economic and military relations for decades, supported by several bilateral cooperation agreements.

A major milestone came in December 2017, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Sudan and the two governments established a High-Level Strategic Cooperation mechanism.

The latest naval engagement adds a technical dimension to those longstanding relations.

The inspection of Port Sudan Naval Base, combined with the presence of Turkish naval engineering specialists and ongoing military training programs, indicates that maritime infrastructure and personnel development remain important components of bilateral defense cooperation.

Further announcements will be needed to determine whether the technical assessments lead to formal shipyard modernization contracts, expanded training arrangements or additional naval engineering projects.

For now, the visit represents a documented step toward closer Turkish-Sudanese cooperation in naval shipbuilding and maintenance capabilities