Istanbul summit exposes divisions within Arab world
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit exposed Arab differences and Arab-Islamic tensions, and the reactions to both the OIC summit and the Arab League meetings were similarly pessimistic.
The extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Dec. 13 exposed a major rift within the Arab world and reflected for the first time a division between the Arab League and the OIC.
The OIC, which was established in response to the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969, was again meeting to discuss the issue of occupied Jerusalem in the aftermath of the Dec. 6 announcement by US President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The OIC summit convoked by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not fulfill the hopes of many in terms of level of representation of leaders from the 57 countries that make up the organization. Four days earlier, the Dec. 9 emergency meeting of the Arab League witnessed 100% attendance by Arab foreign ministers.
Only 16 heads of state attended the Istanbul summit and only 30 of the 57 members of the OIC showed up.
