Hakan Fidan to lead OIC gathering, advocates for Gaza truce and rebuilding efforts
Turkey's Foreign Minister to Call for Urgent Action on Palestine at OIC Meeting
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, will chair the 21st Extraordinary Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Jeddah on August 25. The meeting is part of Turkey's term presidency of the OIC CFM, which began following the 51st CFM held in Istanbul on June 21-22, 2025.
Fidan will underscore the need for vigilance against provocations targeting the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque, a sacred site for Muslims worldwide. He will also reaffirm Turkey's strong support for the OIC-Arab League plan for Gaza reconstruction.
The OIC, the second-largest intergovernmental political organization after the United Nations, represents all Muslims worldwide. Established on September 25, 1969, in Rabat, the OIC currently has 57 member states, including Turkey, which was one of the 25 founding members.
Fidan will call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to protect civilians and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid. He will also call for urgent measures to halt the export and transit of weapons to Israel.
Israel, Fidan will warn, continues to sabotage ongoing ceasefire efforts. He will note that the work of the OIC and the OIC-Arab League Gaza Contact Group has yielded results, citing the recent increase in the number of countries recognizing the State of Palestine as a positive development.
Several countries within the OIC have advanced in recognizing the State of Palestine in recent years, notably including the United Kingdom which announced plans in 2025 to recognize Palestine officially, contingent on Israeli actions in Gaza.
Fidan is expected to stress that Israel's plans to fully occupy Gaza are unacceptable. He will also emphasize that Israel's policies to depopulate Gaza cannot be tolerated.
The OIC includes five observer members: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Russia, and Thailand. The OIC's Permanent Mission to the OIC began operations in Jeddah on July 24, 2015.
Turkey has a history of hosting CFM meetings, having done so in 1976, 1991, and 2004. The meeting in Jeddah comes following Turkey's decision to convene the extraordinary meeting following Israel's announcement to expand its occupation in Gaza.
Fidan will underscore that the establishment of a Palestinian State based on a two-state solution remains the only path to a just and lasting peace. He will reiterate Turkey's commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and working towards a peaceful resolution in the region.
