Joint Press Statement of Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States
At the invitation of Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Halil Akıncı, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) and his delegation paid an official visit to the Headquarters of the OIC in Jeddah on 22 December 2012.
This is the first visit from the Turkic Council to the OIC and the first official meeting between the two organizations.
At the meeting, the two Secretaries General discussed issues of common interest including ways of deepening cooperation between the two organizations to address the common challenges facing the Muslim World. They also shared views on regional and global matters and how to jointly contribute to peace, security, stability and prosperity of their common region and the world at large.
Mr. Halil Akıncı, with a view to establish working relations between the two organizations on an institutional basis, stated that the Turkic Council is interested in gaining Observer Status at the OIC and that the due process will be initiated at the earliest. The four members of the Turkic Council, namely Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey are also members of the OIC. Both Secretaries General welcomed the prospect of working more closely together.
Various departments of the OIC made individual presentations to the Turkic Council delegation on the activities of the OIC and prospective areas of cooperation. The Turkic Council delegation also briefed the officials of the OIC and the representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps in Jeddah about the structure and activities of the Turkic Council.
Secretary General of the OIC and Secretary General of the Turkic Council expressed their hope that this visit would be the beginning of a fruitful cooperation that will serve the common interests of both organizations.
