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
  1. Ministry
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  5. Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ministerial Annual Coordination Meeting, 28 September 2012, New York
Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ministerial Annual Coordination Meeting, 28 September 2012, New York

Mr. Chairman,

Mr. Secretary-General,

Distinguished Colleagues,

Let me first begin by expressing our sincere thanks and gratitude to the Kazakh chairmanship for their efforts towards strengthening the Islamic solidarity among the OIC member states.

Today’s Meeting constitutes an important opportunity for us to overview the decisions adopted at the Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference held in Makkah last month and to coordinate our positions regarding the issues on the agenda.

In this respect, I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Secretary General, His Excellency Professor Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu and his staff for their efforts in preparation of this meeting.

Dear Colleagues,

It is not surprising that protracted conflicts weigh heavily on our deliberations in this Organization and elsewhere, and have a significant impact on our security and stability.

It is with great dismay that we continue to witness indiscriminate murders and massacres of the regime in Syria which causes great suffering of our Syrian brothers and sisters. The crisis in Syria accompanied by its humanitarian tragedy and its ramifications for the wider region will find its place in the darkest pages of history.

While the memories of the wars in the Middle East are still vivid in our minds, the grave consequences of the crisis in Syria still await close attention of the international community. However, the international community is yet to respond to the overt crimes that are being committed in Syria and to act in order to stop the bloodshed.

I reiterate the note of appreciation of my Government to the OIC for its rightful step taken at the Summit in Mecca to suspend the membership of Syrian regime. This constitutes an exemplary reflection of determination and collective reaction of the Muslim world. I would also like to add a word of encouragement to the OIC member states to continue exerting pressure on the regime to cease its indiscriminate violence.

Since our gathering in Mecca, developments did not get better. The world is not confronted with an ordinary situation. The dictatorship in Syria is not only suppressing its own people and ruining the universal values that we all adhere to but also goes hand in hand with radical and terrorist groups constantly attacking on civilians, taking advantage of the inaction of the international community.

The numbers speak for themselves. The death toll speedily approaches 30 thousand, refugees in the neighboring countries already exceeded 270 thousand and the number of IDPs reached 2.5 million. Just a couple of days ago, on the Turkish border, Syrian regime was pounding every village and city, killing hundreds and forcing the Turkish local authorities to shut down the schools and other public institutions in order to protect the people from being a target of shelling coming from the regime forces.

We have to stop this bloodshed. The Assad regime has lost its legitimacy long ago. Legitimacy rests with the Syrian people. The Syrian people must and will take the power in their own hands.

In this vein, the empowerment of the opposition holds the key. A serious engagement by the international community is essential. A generous support to Mr. Brahimi is a must.

Syria is in pain. The tragedy continues. The losses cannot be replaced.

However, when the free will of the Syrians prevails, the ones who spilt their blood for this country will be long remembered for their sacrifices which saved Syria from the shackles of a brute oppression and put Syria on the path to a bright future.

Excellencies,

Finding a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question has always been imperative for stability, security and a durable peace in the Middle East. In the new regional context shaped by the Arab spring, reaching a settlement has become more urgent than ever.

Unfortunately, Israel’s aggressive policies have blocked every effort so far towards the permanent peace.

Israel must seriously commit itself to respect the existing final status parameters, particularly on the 1967 borders and abandon its illegal settlement policy. Otherwise, we should not deceive ourselves with a false concept of a “peace process”.

Meaningful negotiations can only take place on an equal footing between the parties. So far, the Israelis enjoyed the benefits of having their state while the people of Palestine have been deprived of such a legitimate right for decades.

It is now the time to address this imbalance. Israel must have a counterpart on an equal footing in every sense. Palestinians must have their recognized state as early as possible.

The United Nations and every member are put to a litmus test on the legitimate cause of the Palestinians brothers and sisters to have their state.
We call on every member of the UN not to fail in this moment of truth.

As the members of the OIC, the onus is on us to speak with one voice and act completely unified on the Palestinian statehood.

The situation in Gaza continues to be a matter of great concern. Illegal and inhumane blockade imposed by Israel has been suffocating the people of Gaza for years. The blockade must be lifted. There can be no permanent peace and stability in the Middle East unless there is return to normal daily lives in Gaza.

As the OIC countries, we must be firm in our condemnations of this illegal and unacceptable situation. The international community has an obligation to put utmost pressure on Israel to abandon its unconstructive and harmful approach to peace and security in the region.

Dear Colleagues,

I would also like to touch upon the unfortunate events that took place in the Rakhine region of Myanmar in June this year and the situation of the Rohingya Muslims.

We have been following with great concern the inter-communal violence that broke out in the Rakhine region. Although the situation has relatively calmed down, tension between the Muslim and Buddhist communities remains and reportedly up to 100.000 people are still displaced. During these events, the Rohinga Muslims have been affected disproportionately. In fact, deprived of their citizenship and the associated legal rights decades ago, they had already been living under the direst conditions.

I had the opportunity to visit Myanmar on 8-10 August 2012 to express our concerns first-hand at the highest level to the Myanmar Government as well as to see the situation on the ground in the region. We also distributed humanitarian aid and emphasised that the access of the international community for delivering humanitarian assistance to both communities in the region is crucial. I must underline the cooperation displayed by the Myanmar Government.

We believe that it is the duty of the OIC to continue to urge the Government of Myanmar to do its utmost to maintain peace in the Rakhine region, to improve the physical conditions on the ground, to enhance dialogue between both sides to prevent recurrence of similar events in the future.

In that sense, we are pleased that the members of the OIC expressed their solidarity with the Rohingya people during the 4th Extraordinary Summit that took place in Mecca on 14-15 August 2012 and adopted a resolution to establish an OIC Contact Group to consider the issue of the Rohingya Muslims as well as to mandate the OIC Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy. We welcome that the first meeting of the Contact Group took place on 26 September 2012 on the margins of the OIC Ministerial Annual Coordination Meeting, here in New York.

We also welcome the invitation of the Myanmar Government to H. E. Mr. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Secretary-General of the OIC, to visit Myanmar and look forward to his report following the visit.

We must continue to call upon the Government of Myanmar to work for finding a lasting solution to the plight of the Muslim Rohingya people, including restoration of their legal status and recognition of their birth-rights.

Dear Colleagues,

The last UN negotiation process for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue initiated in 2008 was unable to produce a result, despite the dedicated efforts of the Turkish Cypriot side.

It is the absence of Greek Cypriot commitment that hinders the way forward. At this current impasse, the discussion of confidence building measures between the sides, which was also a Turkish Cypriot initiative, keeps the dialogue continuing.

Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots remain dedicated to the settlement aim. We believe that a negotiated and mutually agreed political settlement can be reached in Cyprus based on the inherent constitutive power of the two peoples, their political equality and co-ownership of the Island.

In the absence of such a settlement, we continue to expect all brotherly OIC Member States to give the necessary support to the Muslim Turkish Cypriots by establishing closer relations with them and promoting contacts and cooperation in all fields, with a view to helping them overcome the inhuman isolation which has been imposed upon them.

Dear Colleagues,

We are worried by the recent acts targeting the Islam’s sacred values and Islamic civilization.

Defamation of Islam’s sacred values and insults to our dear Prophet Muhammed ( Peace be upon him) cannot be acceptable, tolerable and considered as a practice of freedom of expression and thought. Insults to religions, prophets, holy values of any religion and belief cannot fall in the scope of these fundamental rights. On the contrary, I believe that such approaches damage the very basis of these freedoms.

Such irresponsible acts naturally cause anger and frustration among the Muslims. However, the right to protest can neither be used as a pretext nor as a justification for resorting to any sort of violence. In fact there is no place in Islam for such violent actions.

Islam’s message to humanity is of peace, tolerance and humanism. Furthermore, it is forbidden and condemned in Islam to harm innocent people. Therefore, nobody should dare to use Islam as a means to justify acts of violence and terror. We have to embrace our values with utmost diligence and show our reaction in a peaceful manner.

On the other hand, as the members of the OIC, we should continue to act together, to intensify our efforts at the international fora, including the UN and its relevant bodies, in combating Islamophobia and eliminating hatred and prejudice against Islam.

Distinguished Colleagues,

We are relying on the full support of all our brothers for our candidature for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council, for the term 2015-2016. Our performance during our last term in the Council is a testament to what we are willing and able to contribute to its work. Turkey will again provide a strong and principled voice for OIC member states within the Council.

I would also like to renew our call on the brotherly OIC Member States to support Turkey’s bid to host the 13th OIC Summit. Although a founding member, Turkey has never had the opportunity to host an Islamic Summit. We ask our brothers and sisters to give us the opportunity to have you in Turkey for the first time in the context of an Islamic Summit.

Thank you.