Statement by H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the Expanded Extraordinary Meeting of OIC Executive Committee, 12 August 2014, Jeddah Statement by H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu at the Meeting of Turkey-CARICOM Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism, 18 July 2014, İstanbul Speech of H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Conference on “International Development Cooperation: Trends and Emerging Opportunities -Perspectives of the New Actors”, 20 June 2014, Istanbul Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, at the 41st Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, 18 June 2014, Jeddah Speech Delivered by H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu at the Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, 28 May 2014, Algeria Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 4th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, 21 May 2014, Shanghai Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Meeting of Group of Friends of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, 2 April 2014, New York Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the OIC Executive Committee Meeting on the Latest Developments in the Central African Republic, 20 February 2014, Jeddah Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Geneva II Conference, Montreux, 22 January 2014 Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the 16th Session of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers, 19 December 2013, Islamabad Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 29th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, 12 December 2013, Yerevan Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 21st Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization, 26 November 2013, Tehran Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Member States, 25 November 2013, Manama Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the High Level Segment Meeting During the 64th Excom Meeting of UNHCR, Geneva, 30 September 2013 Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Group of Friends Ministerial Meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations, 27 September 2013, New York Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the meeting entitled “LDC Graduation: The Way Towards MDG Acceleration, Sustainable Development and Structural Transformation”, 27 September 2013, New York Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum Opening Speech by H.E. Ahmet Davutoglu Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, 27 September 2013, New York Address by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 22nd Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, İstanbul, 29 June 2013 Speech Delivered by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the 28th Ministerial Meeting of BSEC, 21 June 2013, Odessa Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, at the OIC Donor Conference in Support of The City of Al-Quds, Baku, Azerbaijan, 11 June 2013 Speech delivered by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Mali, 13 May 2013, Jeddah Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Somalia Conference, 7 May 2013, London Address by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Third Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process, 26 April 2013, Almaty Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, at the Third Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, 9 April 2013, The Hague Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 24th Summit Meeting of the League of Arab States, 26 March 2013, Doha Speech Delivered by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, in the University of London School of Economics and Political Science, 7 March 2013, London Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the UN Human Rights Council, 25 February 2013, Geneva Statement by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the Ministerial Meeting Preparatory to the Twelfth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, 4 February 2013, Cairo Speech Delivered by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the Ministerial Meeting of BSEC,15 December 2012, İstanbul Opening Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum, 14 December 2012, Abu Dhabi
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  5. Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the Annual Coordination Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OIC Member States, UN Headquarters, New York
Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the Annual Coordination Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OIC Member States, UN Headquarters, New York

Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Distinguished Colleagues,

I would like to start by extending my appreciation to all officials who have contributed to the organization of this meeting.

Last year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the OIC, which was in many ways a turning point for our organization in that we were compelled to reflect on our achievements and take stock of what needs to be done vis-à-vis our objectives yet to be achieved. Naturally, the reform process initiated by the Secretary General has been a major step forward for the OIC.

As a result of these efforts, the OIC is today a more effective organization and a visible actor. These annual coordination meetings become ever more useful for all OIC countries, so that we can move on to the General Assembly with a stronger and more unified voice.

We are going through critical times as regards various issues on our agenda. The overall situation in the Middle East remains precarious. Direct talks on the Middle East Peace Process have been restarted, and there remain critical shortcomings that need to be addressed for the ultimate success of the negotiations. Formation of an all-encompassing, representative government in Iraq after the withdrawal of US combat troops has become all the more crucial. Lebanon’s stability continues to be critical for the entire region. The prolonged natural disaster sweeping through Pakistan, the situation in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia and Caucasus are major challenges awaiting active and effective responses. The OIC can and should play a bigger role commensurate with the size of geography and populations it encompasses. On top of that, we have the responsibility to ensure peace and stability in our region, take steps to meet the Millennium Development Goals and further strengthen the OIC solidarity concerning the issues on our agenda.

I would like to reiterate our deepest sympathies and solidarity with the people of Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating and prolonged flood disaster. If there ever was a time of need for maximum OIC solidarity, beyond any doubt, it is now! We should spare no effort to assist our Pakistani brothers and sisters to make sure that they make it through this calamity of unimaginable proportions, which has already affected more than 18 million Pakistanis.

Please allow me to touch briefly upon the OIC solidarity in accordance with the OIC Charter and the 10 Year Program of Action. Our commitment to joint Islamic Action must be strong. In line with the 10 Year Program of Action, we have undertaken to participate and coordinate effectively in all regional and international platforms to protect and promote the collective interests of the Muslim world on various issues ranging from UN reform to expanding the Security Council membership and extending the necessary support to candidacies of OIC member states to international and regional organizations.
The OIC Ambassadorial Groups in New York, Vienna, Paris and Geneva play a useful and important role in coordinating the positions of members in the various UN platforms and the Human Rights Council. The OIC Groups have successfully drawn up Resolutions sponsored by the OIC countries. We should augment and consolidate this commitment as soon as possible.

Dear Colleagues,

Developments in the Middle East are strongly inter-linked. Thus, we should never lose sight of the larger regional context while dealing with any of them. Otherwise we would run the risk of misreading events and become susceptible to miscalculations. That is exactly why Turkey pursues a comprehensive and integrated policy in the Middle East.

Expansion of Jewish settlements, continuous expulsion of Palestinians from Jerusalem, violations of freedom of worship of Palestinians, house demolitions and evacuations have to be resisted. The city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the protection of its indisputable Islamic identity are of vital importance to all Muslims.

We must always bear in mind that the Organization of the Islamic Conference came into being to preserve and defend the cause of Al-Quds and Palestine. As the only member state having a diplomatic representation in Jerusalem, Turkey has been following with deep concern the developments and challenges in the city in general and Haram Al-Sharif in particular. This is why we dispatched a group of experts to check and prepare a report upon the excavation activities of the Israelis in the Mughrabi Quarter in 2007.

The unbreakable connection between the Turkish people and the city of Al-Quds manifested itself through the Second Extraordinary Open-ended Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC in Istanbul on 10 May 2010 hosted by the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. There once more, we all reiterated our unwavering attachment to Al-Quds, reaffirmed that the issue of Al-Quds Al-Sharif is at the center of the Question of Palestine.

We also hosted the Meeting of the Committee of the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People last May in Istanbul as yet another indication of Turkey’s dedication to support the Palestinian cause.

Action speaks louder than words. We need to mobilize all our efforts and act collectively through the agency of the OIC General Secretariat and OIC institutions such as IRCICA, ISESCO, IDB.

We need to implement the decision taken at the expanded meeting of the Executive Committee at the ministerial level on 1 November 2009 and demand the UN Security Council to revive the International Supervision and Monitoring Committee to Prevent and Prohibit Colonial Settlement in east Jerusalem and the Occupied Arab Territories in accordance with its Resolution 446.

Moreover, UNESCO has to be called into action in order to preserve historical heritage of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and to monitor the Israeli practices.

The OIC member states should start contributing to the financing of projects in Al-Quds to help create a sustainable socio-economic basis for the viability of the future capital of the Palestinian State.

The tragedy in Gaza still continues. Israeli military attack in international waters against the humanitarian aid convoy demonstrated once again that the blockade is inhuman and unsustainable. The attack which resulted in the civilian casualties, was a clear breach of international law. We appreciate the support given to us at the OIC Executive Committee Meeting in Jeddah on June 5. We also appreciate the solidarity shown by every OIC country since then.

As it stands, the work of the Panel of Inquiry established by the UN Secretary General is of critical importance for upholding accountability and enhancing respect for international law in our part of the world. The report of the UN Human Rights Council issued yesterday has justified our position.

We have always maintained that the stability in Lebanon is important for the stability of the whole region. We fully support Prime Minister Hariri’s efforts aimed at ensuring internal stability, rehabilitating the economy and enhancing Lebanon’s relations with its neighbors. It would be extremely important for all international and regional actors to assist Lebanon in these efforts and refrain from acts that might imperil its stability.

In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere wishes that today’s meeting and the 65th UN General Assembly Meeting bring beneficial results to all the brotherly OIC member countries.

Thank you.