Erdogan says no ‘military port’ in Sudan

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied that his country is constructing a naval base on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, saying Turkey plans to restore Ottoman-era ruins in the area.

In comments published in Hurriyet newspaper on Thursday, Erdogan also said his government “laughed” off a request for Turkey to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir during an Islamic summit in Istanbul this month. Al Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged “war crimes” in Darfur.

Asked about reports that Turkey would build a naval base at Sudan’s port of Suakin, Erdogan told a group of journalists on his return from an Africa visit that included Sudan: “There is no such thing as a military port.”

— AP