Turkey to move embassy from Khartoum to Port Sudan after gunfire on envoy's car

Turkey said it will move its embassy in Khartoum to Port Sudan following gunfire on the Turkish ambassador's car, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday.

"With recommendation from the transitional government and Sudan army, we decided to move our embassy temporarily to Port Sudan for security reasons," Cavusoglu told reporters in southern city of Antalya.

A car of Turkey's ambassador in Sudan Ismail Cobanoglu came under fire from assailants, though no one was injured, a Turkish diplomatic source said early on Saturday.

Sudan'da büyükelçilik aracına ateş açıldı

▪️Ordu içindeki bir grubun darbe girişiminde bulunduğu Sudan'da Türkiye'nin Sudan Büyükelçiliği aracına ateş açıldı.
▪️Diplomatik kaynaklar olayı doğrularken, ölü ya da yaralı olmadığı belirtildi. pic.twitter.com/29CBBuPSch

— EHA MEDYA (@eha_medya) May 6, 2023

Cobanoglu "remains in good health", the sources added.

The perpetrators have not been identified yet. The motive behind the attack also remains unknown.

Since last April 15, clashes have continued in Sudan between the Sudanese army - led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. 

Over 500 people have been killed, while tens of thousands of people have fled to neighbouring countries such as Chad, Egypt and Ethiopia in order to escape the conflict, which has now entered its fourth week.

Khartoum, where most of the fighting has taken place, witnessed a series of air strikes on Saturday, according to eyewitnesses. 

(Reuters)