Turkey to built largest hospital in Darfur

Turkey will build a 150-bed hospital in Nyala, South Darfur's capital, in a bid to help the Sudanese people in the poverty-stricken Darfur region. State Minister Faruk Celik led an official delegation for ground-breaking ceremony for the $30 million hospital, which is expected to be completed within a year. Celik said development aid to Sudan would continue, with further projects on the way. "We've had a relationship with Sudan since the 17th century," he said. "There are still many historic buildings built by our grandfathers in this country, which has seen internal fighting and tribal quarrels. We're supporting Sudan through development assistance and capacity-building initiatives." The hospital will replace a field hospital set up by Turkey following a 2006 visit by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. To date, Erdogan is the only Muslim leader to have paid a visit to the war-torn Darfur region, where years of conflict have displaced millions of people.