Turkiye's warship "Gökçe Ada" docked in the coast of Port Sudan to carry out the security and training exercise of navigators in the Red Sea.

"The visit reflects the cooperation between the two armed forces and is also part of a diplomatic initiative," Sudanese General Mousa Ahmed Mousa said in the statement.

"It will also enhance the security and safety of the Red Sea," he added.

The Turkish naval ship was welcomed by number Sudanese naval officers along with the military attaché of Turkiye’s embassy in Khartoum.

The Turkish ship Gökçe Ada arrived on Saturday morning at Port Sudan for a visit that will last until March 11, Sudan's army said.

Ties between Khartoum and Ankara have grown since Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Sudan in December 2017 as part of a plan to gain a strategic foothold in Africa.

Erdoğan said at the time that Sudan had agreed to let Turkiye restore the Red Sea Port of Suakin Island, which thrived during the Ottoman era but has fallen into disrepair.

ILKHA