Türkiye convenes D-8 countries for Gaza

Serkan Demirtaş - ANKARA

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke out on Saturday against "Israeli oppression" in the Gaza Strip, following the meeting of the D-8 countries in Istanbul.

"In Istanbul, we (the D-8 countries) declare together to the whole world that we are not silent in face of Israeli oppression in Gaza, and we cannot remain silent," Hakan Fidan said at a joint news conference held after the council meeting.

The members of the D-8, composed of the eight most populous and prominent Muslim countries, have convened in an extraordinary meeting upon the initiative of Türkiye in Istanbul this weekend to discuss and give a strong message on the ongoing massacres committed by Israel in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted his colleagues from Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh on June 8 in Istanbul. It will be the first meeting of the D-8 devoted to a political issue, according to the sources.

“This meeting is very important for the D-8 countries to show a joint stance against Israeli brutality and that they are not remaining silent against Israeli massacres,”" diplomatic sources said.

The D-8 countries will issue a strong-worded statement at the end of the meeting, the sources stressed. “The statement is envisaged to issue a strong call on the international community and includes concrete steps and principles for giving an end to the crimes Israel has been committing against Palestinian civilians,” sources said.

More than 35.000 people, mostly children and women, were killed because of Israel’s indiscriminate and unproportionate offensive against Hamas since October 2023. The U.N. and other international institutions have long been warning of the growing humanitarian tragedy in Gaza where around two million people have no place to shelter and suffer from lack of food and other basic needs.

According to the sources, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohammed Hasan, Iranian acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri and Bangladeshi Social Welfare Minister Dipu Moni will attend the meeting. Egypt is dispatching its Ambassador to Ankara Amr El-Hamamy while Nigeria will have a high-level presentation at the meeting.

The D-8 was founded in 1997 during the premiership of late Necmettin Erbakan who had served as the prime minister between 1996 and 1997. With a total 1.2 billion population, their total GDP is $4.8 trillion.

Ankara considers the D-8 as an organization that would contribute to the diplomatic efforts of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League.

“As Türkiye, we are mobilizing all sorts of mechanisms; economically, politically and legally for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We are using all the means to put pressure on Israel,” diplomatic sources underlined.

Fidan is expected to hold bilateral talks with the participant colleagues on the sidelines of the D-8 meetings, sources added.