Turkish FM heads to Baghdad for OIC talks on Gaza, regional tensions

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, is an intergovernmental organization for Muslim-majority and other Muslim countries. It was established in 1969 after an arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. With 57 members, it provides a forum for countries to discuss shared political, security and humanitarian concerns.

The Council of Foreign Ministers is the OIC’s meeting of foreign ministers. It examines major issues and helps members express coordinated positions. At the Baghdad meeting, ministers will discuss Gaza, Palestinian territories, regional conflicts, terrorism, United Nations reform, Islamophobia and Muslim communities outside OIC countries.

The council also has a rotating chairpersonship. Türkiye has held it since June 2025 and will transfer it to Iraq during the 52nd meeting on Oct. 17-18. The gathering is expected to produce the Baghdad Declaration, giving members a shared diplomatic platform.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is going to Baghdad for the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on Oct. 17-18. He is expected to address the war in Gaza, Israel’s policies, regional conflicts and wider security concerns. He will also hold bilateral talks with other foreign ministers.

Türkiye currently holds the council’s rotating chairpersonship. It assumed the role at the 51st ministerial meeting in Istanbul in June 2025. During the Baghdad gathering, Türkiye will hand that position to Iraq, ending Ankara’s tenure.

The change matters because Iraq will lead the council as members seek common positions on regional security, humanitarian crises and challenges facing the Muslim world. Fidan is expected to press for coordinated action, uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza and stronger cooperation with international partners.

The OIC comprises 57 member states. Its membership gives it a broad diplomatic reach across countries that share concerns about conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, discrimination and the rights of Muslim communities. That scale allows the organization to present collective positions, even when members’ national policies differ.

The article ranks the OIC as the world’s second-largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations. This is a statement about its membership and institutional reach, not a claim that all members always agree. Its ministerial meetings are designed to find common positions on major issues.

That scale makes the Baghdad meeting significant. Ministers can discuss Gaza, regional security, terrorism, United Nations reform and other issues affecting the Muslim world. The expected Baghdad Declaration could turn those discussions into a shared statement, while bilateral talks may support more targeted cooperation.

The ministers will discuss Israel’s military operations in Gaza, its occupation and annexation activities in Palestinian territories, regional conflicts and counterterrorism. Their agenda also includes United Nations reform, Islamophobia and the situation of Muslim communities in non-OIC countries. These subjects connect immediate wars with wider political and social concerns.

The expected Baghdad Declaration could give members a common position. Based on Fidan’s expected message, it may support coordinated action against Israel’s policies, uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza and the two-state solution. Fidan is also expected to seek measures against countries relocating embassies to Jerusalem and to encourage cooperation with international partners.

The declaration’s precise wording is not provided. Still, it could strengthen diplomatic coordination on Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Gulf security. It may also express solidarity with Turkish Cypriots and Muslim minorities in Western Thrace and the Dodecanese islands.

Türkiye’s stated position is that an independent Palestinian state, created through a two-state solution, is the only viable path toward lasting peace. In practical terms, that means Israelis and Palestinians would have separate states rather than an unresolved conflict continuing without a political settlement. The article presents this as Fidan’s expected message to OIC ministers.

The position matters because it places diplomacy and statehood at the center of the response to the Gaza war and Israel’s policies in Palestinian territories. Fidan is also expected to stress uninterrupted humanitarian aid and coordinated international action. Those measures address immediate suffering while the two-state framework addresses the longer-term political dispute.

The article does not explain why Türkiye rejects other possible models. It does state that Fidan will call the two-state solution the only viable path and urge OIC members to maintain a united position. The expected declaration may reinforce that shared diplomatic message.

Organizations such as the OIC give countries a place to compare positions and agree on shared responses. Their main tools include ministerial meetings, joint declarations, diplomatic appeals, bilateral talks and coordination with international partners. They can also organize humanitarian support or encourage members to use their national diplomatic and economic influence.

The Baghdad meeting shows how this works. Ministers will discuss Gaza and regional security, while Fidan is expected to urge coordinated action against Israel’s policies. A declaration can establish common language, identify priorities and signal collective concern. Follow-up depends on member states translating that position into diplomacy, aid or other national measures.

The article specifically mentions a Baghdad Declaration, bilateral talks, humanitarian aid and cooperation with international partners. It does not describe enforcement powers or binding penalties for members. Therefore, the OIC’s practical strength comes mainly from shared diplomacy, political coordination and the willingness of its 57 members to act together.

Sovereignty means a country has authority over its territory and political affairs. Territorial integrity means its land should not be seized, divided or altered by outside force. Freedom of navigation means ships can travel through international waterways without unlawful obstruction or attack. These principles help define what states may protect and what actions may threaten regional stability.

The article applies them to several places. Fidan will support Syria’s territorial integrity and efforts to revive its economy and reconstruction. He will demand Israel’s complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon while reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty. In the Gulf, he will condemn attacks and defend navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.

These principles matter because conflicts can spread when borders are challenged, territory is occupied or shipping routes become unsafe. The meeting is expected to connect national sovereignty with regional cooperation. Its members may seek common diplomatic pressure and international efforts to protect states, civilians and vital waterways.