Turkish and Sudanese defense ministers hold meeting

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met with his Sudanese counterpart, Yassin Ibrahim Yassin, Report informs, citing the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.

The Ankara meeting focused on the areas of cooperation in bilateral, regional defense and security, and collaboration in the defense industry.

Emphasizing the historically friendly and fraternal relations between Turkey and Sudan, Akar said that the two states would further develop cooperation in the defense industry and joint military exercises.

The minister's meeting comes amid the further strengthening of relations between Sudan and Russia.

Sudan is one of Russia's allies in Africa. Thus, on March 27, 2014, in the UN General Assembly voting on the non-recognition of the referendum in Crimea, Sudan voted against the bill, recognized the referendum on the peninsula, and supported Russia. Moreover, in November last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian Defense Ministry to establish a logistics center for the Russian Navy in Sudan.