ISTANBUL - Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has said that new Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary General would be elected in the ''31st Foreign Ministers Conference'' that would be held in Istanbul in June, adding that they would present (OIC) Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) Director General Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as candidate.
Gul and his wife Hayrunnisa Gul visited the IRCICA at the Yildiz Palace in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Gul recalled that IRCICA had been formed in 1980, stressing that with its activities under chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Ihsanoglu, the center won respect and approval of circles interested in art and science both in Islamic world and other countries.
Noting that Istanbul would host a series of important meetings this year, Gul said that one of them would be the OIC Foreign Ministers' Conference.
''A new OIC secretary general will be elected in the foreign ministers' conference in Istanbul in June. Turkey has never undertaken duty in the highest-level at OIC so far. But now the time has come. With this respect, we will present IRCICA Director General Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as Turkey's OIC secretary general candidate,'' Gul said.
Noting that Turkey was situated in the west of Asia and in Europe, Gul said, ''we believe Turkey's candidacy would significantly contribute to the OIC. We believe that a secretary general from Turkey would contribute to compromise between the east and the west and removal of tension which some people want to create between the east and the west. As a powerful and democratic country which is a European Union candidate, Turkey's serving as the OIC secretary general will be a great message to the Islamic world and other countries. So we have started to announce our candidacy to member states.''
Stating that Prof. Dr. Ihsanoglu was a prominent person who was well-known with his contribution to the Islamic civilization and culture, Gul said, ''so I believe that other member states would support our candidate.''
IRCICA is an international institution active in the fields of research, publishing, documentation and information. Its mandate covers multifarious themes in the fields of the history of Muslim nations, history of arts and sciences in Islam, and other subject areas in Islamic culture and civilization. By means of these activities, IRCICA aims at studying and better introducing the Islamic culture and civilization throughout the world and acting as a catalyst for research and cooperation in these areas to promote mutual understanding between Muslims and with other nations and cultures of the world.
The OIC is an inter-governmental organization grouping fifty-six States. These States decided to pool their resources together, combine their efforts and speak with one voice to safeguard the interest and ensure the progress and well-being of their peoples and those of other Muslims in the world over.
The Organization was established in Rabat, Morocco, on September 25, 1969.
(MS-AY) 28.04.2004