The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League Ministerial Committee met on April 10 in Ankara, Türkiye, according to several news agencies. The meeting was hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and took place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, under the theme of “A Two-State Solution and Lasting Peace in the Middle East.” It included the foreign ministers from Bahrain, Indonesia, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, and other representatives of Russia, China, the European Union, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain.
The two groups condemned the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and called for the “unification of the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, under the Palestinian Authority,” reported the Daily Sabah newspaper. “The communiqué, adopted by Türkiye, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Nigeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, China and Russia, emphasized the desire for concrete and immediate steps to implement a two-state solution to achieve lasting peace…. It condemned Israel’s violations of international law in the West Bank, including settlement expansion, house demolitions and land confiscations, and voiced opposition to using humanitarian aid as a weapon amid human suffering.
“‘We emphasize that the legal and historical ‘status quo’ at Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian Holy Sites be upheld and recognize the key role of the Hashemite Custodianship [in Jordan] in that regard.’ The communiqué again emphasized that ‘aid must flow freely into Gaza, with Israeli crossings open and air and sea routes utilized. Starving Palestinians is unjustifiable.’”
In coverage by TRT Global, Foreign Minister Fidan emphasized that, “‘A lasting ceasefire must be established as soon as possible. We support the ceasefire initiative led by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S.,’ he added. ‘We support the reconstruction plan for Gaza that has been endorsed by the Arab League. We stand behind the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We call on the international community to provide all possible support to achieve peace,’ Fidan said.”
