Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar arrived in Istanbul on Saturday to attend the 51st session of the Council for Foreign Ministers in the organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The two-day conference is held at a time of increased tension in the Middle East after Israel’s strikes on Iranian targets, including the recent attack on Khondab nuclear facility and the ongoing war against Gaza.
DAR is expected to share Pakistan’s perspective on recent development in South Asia, including the ceasefire event with India, and repeats Pakistan’s support for Palestinian state.
Read: Iran-Israel conflict intensifies when Geneva speaks falter
He will also emphasize the urgent need to establish peace in the Middle East and call for immediate humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza who remain under siege.
The OIC summit, hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, opened under the theme “The Organization of Islamic Cooperation in a Transforming World.”
The session has drawn record high participation, with over 1,000 delegates expected, including 43 foreign ministers and five deputy ministers from the Member States.
The summit is closely monitored as tension between Israel and Iran continues to escalate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is also expected to participate, according to the source of a Turkish Foreign Ministry quoted by the Anadolu Agency.
On Thursday, Israel launched an air striker at Khondab -nuclear site in Arak. The Israeli military said it had targeted a partially built heavy water reactor, which experts believe could eventually produce plutonium in arms quality.
In response, Türkiye criticized sharply Israel’s actions, called them illegal and supported Iran’s right to self -defense. Turkish officials have called on Muslim nations to unite in the light of what they described as “destabilizing acts” in the region.
Foreign Minister Fidan is expected to make a strong statement at the summit calling on Member States to form a comprehensive position. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also deal with the conference.
In addition to OIC members, high-level participates from 30 international organizations, including the United Nations, Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Organization of Turkic States, D-8, The Economic Cooperation Organization and World Trade Organization.
Read more: UN chief calling on the parties to ‘give peace a chance’ in the Iran-Israel War
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Istanbul meeting is one of the greatest diplomatic gatherings in the OIC history.
The organization, which includes 57 Muslim majority states, acts as a key platform for political and diplomatic cooperation in the Islamic world.
At the sidelines at the summit, an extraordinary session is held in the Arab League’s ministerial conference also in Türkiye – the first time the group calls in a meeting in the country.
More than 200 journalists from local and international media cover the event.
The two-day conference is expected to result in a joint statement relating to current regional conflicts, humanitarian concerns and the need for greater Islamic solidarity in the light of global challenges.
