SESRIC delegation led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK participated in the 51^st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the OIC, which was organised under the chairmanship of H.E. Hakan FIDAN, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, in Istanbul, on 21-22 June 2025. The Session, held under the theme “The OIC in a Transforming World,” marks the beginning of Türkiye’s one-year Chairmanship of the OIC.

Addressing the 51^st Session of the CFM, H.E. Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, President of the Republic of Türkiye, said: “Israel’s claim that it will establish an order in our region with its bloody hands demonstrates what a blindness and darkness those governing that country are in. I hereby strongly point out that we as Türkiye will never allow the establishment of a new Sykes-Picot order whose borders will be drawn with blood in our region”.

Calling on the international community to not pay heed to Netanyahu’s poisonous rhetoric, President ERDOĞAN said: “Our region cannot afford another war and instability. What we need is common sense, caution and to not make a mistake of righting a wrong with even a bigger wrong. I point out hereby once again that diplomacy and dialogue are the paths to resolution, and that we stand ready to do what falls to us.” H.E. President ERDOĞAN also called for unity among Islamic countries, stating, “From Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Persians to Sunnis, Shiites, and Alevis; from Africans and Asians to Latin Americans and beyond, just as muslims share the same qibla, so too do they share a common destiny.”

The Session brought together high-level delegations from 57 OIC countries as well as representatives of OIC and International Institutions, providing a valuable opportunity for discussing the current challenges and prospects in the region.

H.E. SELÇUK engaged in various bilateral meetings with Heads of Delegations on the sidelines of the Session, discussing ways and means of advancing collaborations within the scope of SESRIC mandate areas.

During the two-day event, SESRIC presented its latest publications and reports through a special booth, where participating delegates had the chance to view the Centre’s work and explore its initiatives. Delegates from OIC countries and Institutions expressed appreciation for SESRIC efforts in various socioeconomic fields.

The one-year rotating Chairmanship passed to Türkiye after the Election of the Bureau and handingover of Cameroon’s Chairmanship, which was assumed last year in Yaoundé during the 50^th Session of CFM. Türkiye previously hosted OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meetings in 1976, 1991, and 2004.

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