Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Baghdad to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Turkish Foreign Ministry sources confirmed the visit. Türkiye will officially hand over the rotating chairmanship to Iraq during the gathering.
The meeting runs under the theme of Dialogue and Solidarity, Two Essential Pillars for Promoting Peace and Sustainable Development. Türkiye has held the rotating chairmanship since June 2025, having previously assumed the role at the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul.
Delegates in Baghdad will address Israel’s ongoing policies in Gaza and its annexation activities across Palestine. Discussions will also cover conflict zones in the Islamic world, counterterrorism, United Nations reform, Islamophobia, and the status of Muslim communities in non-member states. The summit is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Baghdad Declaration.
Fidan is scheduled to address the assembly and hold bilateral talks on the sidelines. Ministry sources said he will state that Israel’s military actions are the primary security threat in the Middle East. He will urge member states to present a united front and coordinate with international actors.
Fidan is expected to call for decisive measures against countries relocating their embassies to Jerusalem. He will reiterate that a Palestinian state based on the two-state solution is necessary for lasting peace. He will also press for unhindered humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza.
On regional issues, Fidan will address the situation in Syria, calling for joint efforts to preserve territorial integrity and revive the economy. Regarding Lebanon, he will stress the importance of sovereignty and state that Israel must withdraw completely from the south.
Fidan will also address Gulf tensions, describing attacks against regional states as unacceptable. He will emphasise the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while condemning Houthi attacks on civilians and infrastructure and affirming solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
Established in 1969 following the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, the OIC includes 57 member states and is the second-largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations. Türkiye is one of its 25 founding members and hosts several affiliated institutions, including SESRIC, IRCICA, COMCEC, and the ICYF.
