Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 27
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Sudan’s Suakin Island has been leased to Turkey for a period of 99 years, the Sudanese media reported Dec. 27.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir on Dec. 27 night signed a decree on handing over the island to Turkey for rent, according to the report.
On Dec. 26, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Sudan said that Turkey is ready to carry out large-scale restoration work and restore infrastructure on the Suakin Island.
Erdogan added that presently, Suakin Island is an abandoned area.
"Turkey is ready to restore the mosques having historical significance on the island," Erdogan said.
For many centuries, Suakin Island, situated in north-eastern Sudan, has been an important trading port in the Red Sea and one of the centers of Islamic civilization on the coast of East Africa.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu