Face of Truth | Ibrahim Shaglawi
Ankara and Doha: A Potential Pathway to Sudan’s Peace
The war that our country has been experiencing since April 2023, which has resulted in the killing of tens of thousands and the displacement of about 13 million people, exhausting the national economy, has imposed a complex reality that makes the need for an alternative negotiating path an urgent matter.
In the face of this regional and international political failure and impotence, Turkey and Qatar emerge through a potential negotiating track based on an understanding of the nature of the conflict and a genuine desire to reach solutions that neither ignore the state nor reward rebellion.
The importance of the current timing lies in several elements. The first is the convergence of vision between Ankara and Doha regarding the nature of the conflict in Sudan. Both agree that the confrontation is not a war between two equal parties but rather an insurgency by the Rapid Support Forces against the state. This definition frees any mediation track from disgraceful bias and puts pressure on the rebels while preserving the state.
The second element is openness to realistic dialogue. Turkey and Qatar carry no pre-set interests or agendas but proceed from the necessity of reaching a sustainable peace through direct negotiation, without imposing a pre-drafted roadmap, as the Quartet attempts to do. This approach makes it possible to bring Sudanese parties together in negotiation sessions focusing on protecting civilians and restoring state stability.
The Turkish-Qatari role also represents an opportunity to invest in the international political vacuum created by the Quartet’s failure to present solutions acceptable domestically. Coordination between Ankara and Doha, based on Qatar’s previous experience in peace agreements in Darfur, can offer a more realistic horizon that allows for the achievement of peace.
The practical importance of this approach lies in that correctly defining the war enables the formulation of tangible solutions: protecting civilians, rebuilding state institutions, and ensuring the stability of central authority, instead of settling for futile military or political approaches. This method provides a better foundation for any sustainable political agreement and places the interest of the Sudanese people first.
In this context came Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statements yesterday at the “COMCEC” meeting in Istanbul and in his press briefings following his return from Azerbaijan, in which he affirmed that Turkey cannot remain silent regarding the massacres in El Fasher, and that protecting Sudan’s unity and sovereignty is the responsibility of the Islamic world—confirming Ankara’s genuine concern for achieving lasting peace.
In contrast, Qatar possesses practical experience in managing Sudanese crises and is today capable of providing a neutral dialogue platform to connect Sudanese parties or coordinate regional and international efforts.
The call by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, earlier this week to stop the war and his warning about the consequences of the atrocities in El Fasher reflect a continuing strategy of using humanitarian and political pressure to facilitate applicable peaceful solutions.
At the international balance level, the movements of U.S. Presidential Advisor Masad Boulos and his coordination with Qatar reveal an undeclared American openness to alternative paths, provided that the humanitarian situation is considered. This makes the Turkish-Qatari track a realistic option that can be built upon if granted the necessary international backing without infringing on Sudanese sovereignty.
Within this framework, the previous Turkish initiative proposed by Erdoğan—to bring together President al-Burhan and Mohammed bin Zayed—returns to the political forefront, after Erdoğan’s previous contacts with al-Burhan indicated Turkey’s willingness to mediate in resolving the dispute between Sudan and the UAE, similar to its role in establishing peace between Somalia and Ethiopia.
Observers point out that this direct path between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi could be the shortest and most realistic route to ending the war, as it places the Turkish initiative at the core of redefining the roles of regional and international actors, focusing on ending the UAE’s support for the militia and halting its direct interference in Sudanese affairs, thereby enabling Sudan to manage the conflict internally through its institutions.
However, the success of this mediation depends on several decisive factors, foremost among them: both parties’ acceptance of the initiative, regional trust in Turkey’s ability to maintain neutrality, and international support for the track, especially amid signs of coordination with the United States.
On the Sudanese side, the state leadership under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan needs to seize this initiative to secure a solution that protects national sovereignty and ends the war without compromising the interests of Sudanese citizens, while involving political forces in the process of rebuilding Sudan after the war.
It can be said that Ankara and Doha represent a potential path for Sudan’s peace, capable of overcoming the impasse of the international Quartet by offering a more effective approach based on a precise understanding of internal and external balances, with a focus on defining the war’s narrative and halting regional interventions that have prolonged it. The Turkish initiative, if well utilized in coordination with regional and international peace-supporting parties, could constitute a qualitative step toward stopping the bloodshed, restoring Sudan’s stability, and rekindling hope among its people exhausted by the ravages of war.
Reading the Sudanese scene through #Face_of_Truth with this depth reveals that the Ankara-Doha track, whether within the Quartet or independently of it, represents the closest path to saving the country from the scourge of war and external blackmail. It offers a real opportunity to rebuild state institutions and protect civilians, paving the way for a sustainable peace that ensures Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and political and social stability.
May you remain in peace and well-being.
Monday, November 10, 2025
Shglawi55@gmail.com
