Sudan, which been in turmoil since President Omar al-Bashir's removal from power, was a country where Turkey had surprisingly high-level and close relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Sudan in December 2017 and Bashir reciprocated despite all the controversy it generated.

Turkish exports to Sudan grew along with Turkey's sudden presence at Suakin Island and unexpected military agreements. In April, when Bashir was ousted, Erdogan reacted angrily, saying the coup was actually against Turkey. In June, the Turkey-Sudan friendship platform organized a protest in Istanbul against the Sudanese military intervention.

A scholar working at a state university who specializes in military and intelligence issues said on condition of anonymity, “The coup felt like it targeted Turkey because we failed to invest in players other than Bashir who was inevitably on his way out. Turkey provides scholarships for Sudanese students and brags about all their cultural connections, which are great, but what is the return on these investments in the post-Bashir era? Will we ever know how much Turkey lost in Sudan?”

Since the initial angry burst from Erdogan, Turkey has been quiet about the developments except for a few routine announcements from the Foreign Ministry. Indeed, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates appear to have closer relations with the military junta in Sudan than the Turkey-Qatar axis does. Does this mean there is no room for Erdogan in post-coup Sudan?