Thousands of people in the Sudanese city of Sawakin have held a mass rally to express gratitude to Türkiye and its people for their support during Sudan's difficult times.

Türkiye has been supporting Sudan with humanitarian aid and efforts to resolve the country's ongoing war.

The rally was attended by Turkish Embassy officials, including Ambassador Fatih Yildiz. The Turkish Embassy in Sudan expressed appreciation for the "Thank You Türkiye, Thank You Erdoğan" gathering.

The two countries ''will continue to stand side by side, as we have done throughout the centuries,’’ it added in a post on the social media platform X.

Sudan has been mired in a brutal war since April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following simmering tensions of transition to civilian rule.

More than 24,000 people have been killed and millions of others displaced, according to the UN.

Some Turkish organisations, including the Turkish Development and Cooperation Agency, TIKA, have been at the forefront of providing humanitarian support to the victims.