Istanbul: At Iran's request, a special session with the participation of all members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be held as part of the bloc's 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, diplomatic sources said on Saturday. The closed door meeting is scheduled for Saturday evening, according to information obtained from Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
According to Anadolu Agency, the session in Istanbul is taking place at a time when Israel's attacks on Gaza and Iran continue, drawing global attention to Trkiye. The Turkish metropolis is hosting the 51st Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers under the theme 'The OIC in a Transforming World.' As one of the founding members of the OIC, Trkiye has contributed to many initiatives within the organization and hosted many of its key events.
The session hosted by Trkiye is expected to be one of the most broadly attended meetings in OIC history, with the number of participants anticipated to reach around 1,000, marking a record high-level attendance compared to previous sessions. Heads of delegation from participating countries include 43 ministers and five deputy ministers.
In addition to representatives from OIC-affiliated institutions, the meeting will also see high-level participation from nearly 30 international organizations. These include the UN, Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Developing Eight (D-8), Economic Cooperation Organization, Organization of Turkic States, International Organization for Migration, and the World Trade Organization.