President Erdogan Urges Anti-terror OIC Body

Istanbul, 09 Rajab 1437/15 April 2016 (MINA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday proposed the formation of a body within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to solidify and institutionalize cooperation against terrorism.

This came in Erdogan’s opening speech to the opening session of the 13th OIC Summit held in Istanbul, under the theme “Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace.”

The two-day summit is attended by heads of states and governments from over 30 countries, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted KUNA as reporting.

It is necessary to conduct operations against terrorist groups on the ground, while there should be efforts to target those organizations’ financial and human resources, Erdogan said.

International cooperation is vital in this regard and establishing a body that would “solidify and institutionalize cooperation against terror within the OIC is the right step to take,” he added.

Erdogan, whose country was handed over presidency of the OIC Summit, noted that terrorism is among the gravest problems facing the Islamic world.

Muslim states have to work out solutions, instead of waiting for help from others.

Erdogan decried the devastation of Afghanistan, where hundreds of thousands Muslims were killed and millions mistreated by Al-Qaeda.

Now, the so-called Islamic State (IS) or Daesh, which controls vast areas in Iraq and Syria and tries to get control of Libya, “serves the same dirty plans.”

“We see Boko Haram and Al Shabaab, which conduct terror attacks in Africa, in the same category. Apart from a few attacks for show, all these terror organizations oppress and harm all Muslims,” Erdogan stressed.

The Turkish President maintained that these terror organizations do not represent Islam which is a “religion of peace and compromise.” These organizations oppress and harm all Muslims.

He emphasized that Muslims are in dire need to overcome “the instigation of sectarianism.” Calling for unity and solidarity among the Muslim states, the Turkish leader hoped the conference would serve as an occasion to dissolve problems and conflicts. He slammed the West’s double standards in dealing with terrorist organizations.

Erdogan called for harder efforts to realize peace between Israel and Palestine, and to establish a Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Shareef as a capital, besides ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Expressing support to the Muslim minorities fighting for freedom in the Balkans, Erdogan called for harder work to curb the crisis of refugees in the Muslim world.

On the international scene, he called for conducting structural reform in the UN.

Circumstances have been altered and the UN Security Council must now have an Islamic state as a member, he said.

The Turkish President underlined the importance of women in the Muslim society, calling for a conference within the OIC to empower them. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)