Al-Burhan’s Visit to Turkey is Instrumental to Consolidate His Rule and Execute America's Plan
(Translated)
Al-Rayah Newspaper - Issue 582 - 14/01/2026
By: Ustaadh Ibrahim Musharraf *

The recent visit by Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to Turkey has sparked widespread debate in political circles between those who view it as a step to bolster regional cooperation and support, and those who see it as a protocol with limited impact on the trajectory of the war and the escalating crisis in Sudan. (Al Jazeera Net)

Al-Burhan’s visit to Turkey comes at a time when the Sudanese army, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and their ally the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North are witnessing a halt in military operations with sporadic advances and retreats in the Kordofan region, alongside international pressures on the Sudanese government to accept the roadmap presented by the American “Quad,” which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States on September 12 to end the conflict. Khartoum insists on rejecting Abu Dhabi's participation due to its support for the RSF, in addition to internal pressure against accepting any truce with the RSF.

The Turkish capital Ankara represented al-Burhan’s third stop within ten days, which he visited last December 25, following his trips to Riyadh and Cairo on the 15th and 18th of the same month, as part of an international tour, amid mounting foreign pressures on Khartoum, and battlefield setbacks for the army in the Kordofan region that links the country’s west and east. It is noteworthy that Turkey has not ceased providing extensive support and backing to Sudan in the fields of security and defense. There are agreements between the two countries in that regard.

In the wake of the meeting, the Turkish presidency issued a statement clarifying that cooperation between Turkey and Sudan will be enhanced in various fields, starting from trade and agriculture, extending to defense industries and mining. The statement indicated that Turkey will continue to meet the needs of the Sudanese people, who are facing a humanitarian crisis by providing more humanitarian aid.

It is noteworthy that the reception ceremony was attended on the Turkish side by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli, Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin, and Head of the Defense Industries Authority Haluk Gorgun.

Meanwhile, accompanying the Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman were Under-Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Muawiya Osman Khalid, Director of the General Intelligence Service, Lieutenant General Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal, and Director General of the Defense Industries System, Lieutenant General Mirghani Idris.

Following the reception ceremony, the two countries’ leaders held a bilateral meeting, followed by a working dinner between the delegations of the two countries (sources: Al Jazeera and Anadolu), and al-Burhan clarified that Sudan and Turkey had signed memoranda of understanding and cooperation earlier, but their implementation had been slow, pointing out that his current visit established the mechanisms capable of enhancing cooperation in multiple fields. He indicated that he requested from President Erdogan, in light of Turkey’s role in establishing peace in several crises around the world, assistance in reaching a solution to the Sudanese crisis. Al-Burhan affirmed that among the objectives of his visit was also benefiting from the Turkish experience within the framework of the “Terror-Free Turkey” project, considering it an experience worth emulating.

On the economic front, al-Burhan said that Sudanese authorities are consulting on lifting visa requirements for Turkish businessmen to facilitate their arrival in Sudan, affirming his country’s need in the upcoming phase for Turkey’s capabilities in the fields of reconstruction, infrastructure rehabilitation, and the energy sector.

Regarding efforts to halt the war in Sudan, al-Burhan said there is talk of initiatives and endeavors to stop it, but the presence of what he described as “the militia,” the Rapid Support Forces, and those behind it prevents achieving that, calling on these forces to lay down their arms.

He added that the Sudanese Sovereignty Council “has sought since the beginning of the war to stop it and agreed to all proposed initiatives, but the other side refused,” pointing out that stopping the war is possible today, but Sudan’s demands have not changed since the Jeddah Agreement in 2023, chief among them being the disarmament of the Rapid Support Forces, their assembly in designated locations, and then addressing their status.

Al-Burhan emphasized that the solution must be “Sudanese-Sudanese,” and that the political solution must be preceded by a resolution to the military situation, considering that anyone speaking of merging solutions has an interest in the continued existence of the RSF.

In the same context, al-Burhan said that Sudan trusts the intentions of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and recently the American administration, and their ability to contribute to resolving the Sudanese predicament and ensuring the sustainability of the solution in the future.

Al-Burhan concluded with an appeal to U.S. President Trump, saying, "If President Trump wants to be the man of peace for this year, he must look into the Sudanese issue and resolve it, and we tell him that you can do that.” (TRT Arabic)

It appears that al-Burhan’s visit to Ankara is an extension, not a rupture, of his visit to Saudi Arabia, America's cash cow; and to Egypt’s Sisi, Trump’s favorite dictator. The Riyadh visit represented the gateway to political legitimacy and the negotiating track, while Cairo embodies the depth of security and sovereignty, whereas Ankara, the regional player in Syria and Lebanon, offers America additional maneuvering space for al-Burhan and grants him a card to make the Sudanese people forget past defeats, and the current halt in military operations. Al-Burhan is implementing America’s plan for Darfur’s secession by creating the Libyan scenario of two governments and two armies, and that is why military operations have stopped. Thus, actions were necessary to deceive people into believing the war continues, so that they rally around al-Burhan and he does not lose his popularity.

These heads, mere semblances of rulers, engage in shuttle diplomacy that resembles political work, while they are farthest from it and from what characterizes a statesman; for they are agents in vassal states that serve the disbelieving West. The statesman is the one who tends to the affairs of his Ummah, knows no lying or deception, but rather performs what the Prophets (as) performed. Narrated that the Prophet (saw) said,

«كَانَتْ بَنُو إسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأنْبِيَاءُ، كُلَّما هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ، وإنَّه لا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَسَتَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَتَكْثُرُ»، قالوا، فَما تَأْمُرُنَا؟ قالَ، «فُوا ببَيْعَةِ الأوَّلِ، فَالأوَّلِ، وَأَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ، فإنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ»

“The Bani Israeel were governed by Prophets: Whenever a Prophet died, another would take over his place. There will be no Prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs (Khulafaa) who will be large in number.” The people asked, “Then what should we do?” He (saw) replied: “Fulfill your pledge of allegiance to them one after another, and give them their due rights, for Allah (swt) will hold them responsible for that which He (swt) has entrusted to them.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

* Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Sudan