Turkey recognises South Sudan

Turkey on Saturday recognised South Sudan after the African country declared independence, the foreign ministry said. Turkish Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz attended the independence ceremony in Juba and conveyed to the South Sudanese authorities a letter by President Abdullah Gul on Turkey's recognition, the statement said. "Turkey will make every effort to develop close cooperation with the Republic of South Sudan, wishing it a peaceful and prosperous future," it said. Earlier Saturday, South Sudan's parliament speaker proclaimed the fledgling state's independence, marking its birth as the world's newest nation and splitting Africa's largest country in two.