Riyadh: Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, is actively participating in a significant meeting involving the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League in Riyadh. This meeting, scheduled for today, is a precursor to the Arab-Islamic summit aimed at addressing the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestine and Lebanon.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the first extraordinary joint summit of the OIC and the Arab League took place on November 11 last year in Riyadh. This summit unified the Arab League’s discussions on Israeli aggression against Palestine with the eighth extraordinary summit of the OIC. The current summit is set to review the implementation of past decisions and make new resolutions to halt Israeli aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and surrounding regions.

A key outcome from last year’s summit was the formation of the Gaza Contact Group, comprising Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, Indonesia, and Nigeria. Th
is group remains committed to ending the conflict in Gaza and pursuing a two-state solution. Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan’s involvement has facilitated international dialogue and increased global awareness regarding the Palestinian issue.

The joint statement from the previous summit called for member states to apply political, diplomatic, and legal pressure on Israel, demand a UN Security Council-imposed truce, and condemn Israel’s obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza. It also advocated for halting arms sales to Israel, proposed an international protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians, and recommended holding an international peace conference with phased international guarantees for peace.

The summit further urged the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor to expedite investigations into alleged war crimes by Israel and emphasized the importance of coordination among international humanitarian organizations to support Palestinians.

In related developments, the 51st meeting of the Council of
Foreign Ministers of the OIC is scheduled for Istanbul in 2025, where Turkey will hold the presidency of the Conference of Foreign Ministers for a year. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, established on September 25, 1969, following the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Quds, comprises 57 member states and is the second-largest intergovernmental organization globally, representing the global Muslim community.