President arrives in Istanbul for spl OIC summit on Jerusalem issue

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ISTANBUL, Turkey, Dec 12, 2017 (BSS) – President M Abdul Hamid arrived here early today to join Extra-ordinary Islamic Summit Conference of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened on December 13 (tomorrow).

The President and his entourage left Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport at about 10:35 pm and landed at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport at 3:45 am (local time) by a Turkish Airlines Flight.

President Hamid was welcomed at the airport by Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkey M Allama Siddiki, Istanbul Consulate General Mohammad Monirul Islam, and Deputy Governor of Istanbul Ahmet Hamdi USTA and high officials of the foreign ministry.

The President is staying at Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus during his Turkey visit to join the OIC’s sixth extraordinary summit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who currently chairs the grouping of the Muslim states.

President Hamid would join the summit at Istanbul Congress and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) at 11 am tomorrow to “highlight Bangladesh’s position on the issue.

The OIC special Summit is going to be held to finalize the next course of action of Muslim world as US President Donald Trump’s unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital hurt the Muslims sentiment across the world.

The US recognized Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al Sharif) as the “so called capital of Israel” and launched a process to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, being occupied by Israeli forces since 1967.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier called the US decision “unacceptable” fearing it to escalate repercussions and said “there is a UN resolution on this and no-one will accept the announcement disregarding it”.

The OIC, meanwhile, issued a statement saying it convened an extraordinary Summit to discuss the “repercussions of the recognition by the United States of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the Israeli capital. “The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of (OIC nations) will hold an extraordinary meeting prior to the Summit to discuss the move in a unified and coordinated manner in the face of these developments affecting the occupied city of Al-Quds and its historical, legal and political status,” it read.

President Hamid is scheduled to return home early Wednesday by a special VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.