Sudan is exploring the use of Turkish ports as a distribution and logistics hub for agricultural exports as the country seeks to reconnect producers with international markets following severe disruption caused by the war.
The proposal, being discussed by the Turkish-Sudanese Economic Business Council, would allow Sudanese agricultural products to move through Turkish ports before reaching their final destinations, including markets elsewhere in Africa.
Ahmed Demirci, head of the Turkish-Sudanese Economic Business Council, said the initiative is intended to provide Sudanese exporters with an alternative route to international markets while maintaining Sudan as the country of origin for the products.
The proposal draws partly on Türkiye’s experience handling agricultural shipments from Russia and Ukraine. Under the proposed model, Sudanese products could be transported to Türkiye in raw form or undergo temporary processing before being re-exported.
The initiative comes as Sudan’s trade has been heavily affected by the conflict. According to figures cited by the council, bilateral trade between Türkiye and Sudan fell to about $390 million in 2025 from approximately $680 million in 2022.
Official Turkish statistics put bilateral trade at $344.7 million in 2024, comprising $276.9 million in Turkish exports to Sudan and $67.8 million in imports from Sudan.
Conflict-related disruption, higher transport costs, customs duties and local charges have increased the difficulty of moving Sudanese products competitively into international markets.
Sudanese agricultural commodities already have an established place in Türkiye’s import market. Products include oilseeds and fruits, sugar and sugar products, unfinished leather, gum arabic, resins and cotton.
The proposed logistics arrangement could initially provide Sudanese producers with access to infrastructure and distribution networks outside the country while domestic transport and export systems remain under pressure.
However, the longer-term objective would be to encourage Turkish companies to expand their operations inside Sudan and support greater local processing of agricultural products.
That issue is important because using foreign infrastructure can restore export flows but may also leave more processing and value creation outside Sudan. Developing domestic packaging, processing and manufacturing capacity would allow the country to capture a greater share of the value generated by its agricultural production.
Türkiye already has a substantial commercial presence in Sudan. Turkish direct investment in the country is estimated at about $300 million, while Turkish companies have completed more than 90 projects with a combined value of nearly $3 billion.
The two countries have also maintained a longer-term ambition of increasing bilateral trade to $2 billion, despite the challenges created by the conflict.
The Turkish proposal is emerging alongside efforts by Sudan to restore its own logistics infrastructure. Port Sudan resumed transshipment operations on June 16 after a prolonged interruption, with the arrival of the container vessel Euphoria at the South Port terminal.
The resumption is significant for Sudan because the country has direct access to the Red Sea and has been seeking to restore Port Sudan’s role as a regional trade gateway.
The use of Turkish ports could therefore complement rather than replace Sudanese infrastructure, providing an additional export route while domestic logistics capacity is rebuilt.
For Sudanese agriculture, restoring reliable export channels is particularly important because international market access can provide producers with much-needed revenue and help maintain agricultural value chains during the conflict.
The proposed corridor could provide an immediate route back to international markets, while the expansion of Turkish investment in Sudan could support a longer-term transition towards local processing and greater value addition.
For Türkiye, the initiative would strengthen an established economic relationship with Sudan while creating potential links between Turkish logistics networks, Sudanese agricultural production and wider African markets.
The success of the strategy will ultimately depend on whether Sudan can move beyond simply restoring exports and rebuild the domestic infrastructure and processing capacity needed to retain more value from its agricultural production.