Washington: One of Turkey’s major defense firms, Baykar, has been implicated in Sudan’s ongoing civil war following a report suggesting the company supplied arms to the Sudanese military.
The Washington Post revealed that Baykar, a leading manufacturer of drones, allegedly delivered weaponry to Sudan between August and November 2023, despite international sanctions on the conflict-ridden region.
According to the report, Baykar signed a $120 million (€110.7 million) contract with Sudan’s Defense Industries System (DIS). The first shipment, carrying military equipment, reportedly arrived in Port Sudan in August, with the final delivery documented on September 15. Messages obtained by the Post suggest that Sudanese officials praised Turkey as their most supportive ally during a September 9 meeting with Baykar representatives.
The contract, signed on November 16, 2023—five months after the US imposed sanctions—allegedly included six TB2 drones, three ground control stations, and 600 warheads. Additionally, Baykar reportedly committed 48 employees to deliver and provide technical assistance within Sudan.
This revelation places Turkey among other foreign players accused of exacerbating Sudan’s 22-month-long war. The UAE and Russia have also faced allegations of involvement, with the UAE allegedly supplying paramilitary forces with armored vehicles containing French military technology, according to Amnesty International. Meanwhile, Russia recently secured an agreement to establish a naval base in Port Sudan.
On Thursday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) confirmed that Sudan had filed a case against the UAE, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention by backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). UAE officials, however, have repeatedly denied these claims.
Despite the UN Security Council’s recent decision to extend the arms embargo on Sudan’s Darfur region, no concrete measures have been taken against foreign nations reportedly breaching these restrictions.
Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. While much of the fighting has been concentrated in Khartoum, ethnic violence has spread to other parts of the country.
The United Nations has labeled Sudan’s conflict the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 14 million people displaced and widespread famine looming. Casualty estimates vary, with figures ranging from 20,000 to as many as 150,000 deaths.
