Election Of Turkish Candidate As O.I.C. Secretary General Considered Confirmation Of Turkey's Leadership In Region

ISTANBUL - Election of Turkey's nominee Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary General was considered a sign of a new period, sources said on Wednesday.
Diplomatic sources noted that Turkey which aimed to further improve function and effectiveness of the office of OIC secretary general was getting prepared to work as a bridge to contribute to efforts to establish much closer cooperation between members of the organization and to provide proper contribution of the west to the OIC.
Sources considered election of Turkish candidate for the office of OIC secretary general a confirmation of Turkey's leadership in the region and stressed that this result was a sign of Islam world's being open to modernism.
Ihsanoglu who will take over the office of OIC secretary general on January 1, 2005 will continue to work as the Director General of Islamic Conference Organization Research Center for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA) by then.
(EÖ-AÖ) 16.06.2004