ISTANBUL - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday that there was a great support for Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Turkish candidate for the office of OIC Secretary General.
Gul told A.A correspondent that the meeting would take place at a time when there were very important problems for the Islam world like Iraq problem and Palestine.
Gul said those issues would mainly be discussed at the meeting, but that important meetings would also take place about Cyprus.
Reminding A.A correspondent that OIC Secretary General would be elected during the meeting, Gul said, ``there is great support to our candidate. He is a well known name in Islam and western world.``
Secretary General is elected for four years period and can not be elected more than two successive terms. Four deputy secretary generals are also elected.
Secretary General presents report to ministers meeting and gives information about the studies of the organization.
Ekmelettin Ihsanoglu, who was born in 1943, earned a degree in history of science. He is the founder and chair of the first Department of History of Science in Turkey in Istanbul.
He has served as the director general of OIC Research Center for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA) in Istanbul since 1980. He also acts as president of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science.
Ihsanoglu is the author of numerous books, articles and papers in different languages on science, history of science, Turkish culture, relations between the Islam world and the Western world and Turkish-Arab relations.
He has many publications in Turkish, English and Arabic, some of which were translated into French, Japanese, Bosnian, Malay and Korean.
He can speak English, Arabic, French and Persian languages.
He is married with three children.
(AY-AÖ) 14.06.2004