Foreign ministers from the D-8 group, which includes the most populous non-Arab Islamic countries and Egypt, are holding an emergency meeting in Istanbul today to discuss the latest developments in the war in Gaza.
At the end of the meeting, D-8 member countries are expected to adopt a joint statement condemning Israel for the attacks on Gaza, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, calling on the international community to take action to ensure that Israel complies with the measures decided by the International Court of Justice, invite third countries to become parties to the trial against Israel for genocide and send a message in favor of the recognition of a Palestinian State.
The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is a subgroup of countries within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and includes countries with the largest Muslim populations. Indonesia ranks first, followed by Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh, followed by Egypt, then Iran, Turkey and Malaysia. All these countries together have a population of over 1.2 billion. It is an economic body, but for the first time it will meet in an emergency on a political issue relating to Gaza.
The meeting will take place in the office of the Presidency of the Turkish Republic, in Dolmabahçe Palace. According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Turkish Minister Hakan Fidan will also have bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the summit.