Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday attended the 52nd session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers, a two-day meeting that opened in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Türkiye, which has chaired the council since June 2025, is handing the chairmanship to Iraq at the session.
The meeting, held under the theme “Dialogue and Solidarity as Two Essential Pillars for Promoting Peace and Sustainable Development,” is expected to conclude with the adoption of a “Baghdad Declaration.”
Fidan’s agenda in Baghdad
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan is expected to stress that Israel’s aggressive and expansionist policies remain the biggest security threat in the Middle East, that full and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza is vital, and to underline support for a two-state solution.
He is also expected to call for steps against countries that have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, express solidarity with Turkish Cypriots and urge an end to their isolation, and call for the protection of the rights of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace and Muslim Turks on the Dodecanese islands.
Other issues include Syria’s territorial integrity and economic recovery, a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, concern over tensions in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, condemnation of Houthi attacks and solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
Bilateral meetings
On the sidelines, Fidan held bilateral meetings with counterparts, including Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Iraq is hosting the OIC foreign ministers’ council for the first time since 1981, with 53 of the organization’s 57 members having confirmed attendance.
Representatives of 55 OIC member and observer states are attending the meeting in Baghdad. Alongside Gaza, Israel’s settlement activities, forced displacement and the status of Jerusalem top the agenda, while ministers are also expected to discuss developments in Yemen, Sudan, Syria and Afghanistan, economic cooperation and the fight against terrorism. Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassanein Kamil said the session opened after all delegations had arrived in Baghdad.
