Istanbul:The Islamic world must take a firm stance against Israeli actions and support Palestine through concrete measures, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz stated at the 42nd Ministerial Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) held in Istanbul.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Yilmaz emphasized the need for the Islamic world to oppose Israeli actions in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, amid ongoing hardships faced by Palestinians. He criticized the continuation of violence despite a declared ceasefire and highlighted the obstruction of humanitarian aid as exacerbating the situation.

During the meeting, Yilmaz noted the collective determination to resolve geopolitical tensions across the Islamic world through diplomacy, underscored by COMCEC's Al-Quds Program, which launched 10 new projects this year to support Palestinians. He also mentioned progress under the COMCEC Syria Program aimed at enhancing human and institutional capacity.

Yilmaz reiterated the goal of increasing intra-bloc trade among OIC member states to 25% and stressed the importance of expanding the Trade Preferential System. He highlighted the focus on developing trade finance instruments for small and medium-sized enterprises and called for strengthening the OIC Arbitration Center to resolve disputes efficiently.

He also advocated for the operationalization of the Islamic Forum for Halal Accreditation Bodies to facilitate halal certificate recognition and reduce trade barriers. Under COMCEC's Project Financing mechanism, Yilmaz reported 31 ongoing projects this year, contributing to a total of 209 supported projects since 2013.

The summit included 62 bilateral meetings involving 24 countries and 12 international organizations. Yilmaz announced that the next ministerial exchange session will focus on using Islamic finance instruments to ensure food security, emphasizing its significance for development priorities.