Erdogan congratulates Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on OIC secretary-general election

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended his heartfelt congratulations to Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed upon his unanimous election as secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The congratulatory note was delivered following the 23rd extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held recently in Jeddah.

President Erdogan conveyed his sincere best wishes to Ahmed for triumph in his new position, while expressing belief in his capacity to further the organization's goals and foster Islamic unity and collective action.

Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's dedication to supporting the OIC General Secretariat in all aspects, pledging unwavering assistance to bolster its vital work. As a chairman of the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), Erdogan extended an invitation to Ahmed to partake in the 42nd ministerial session of COMCEC, set to occur in Istanbul from October 31 to November 3, 2026.

The session will be centered around the theme of developing effective trade finance tools to boost exports in member states, with a focus on strategic programs and initiatives like the Preferential Trade System and capacity-building projects.

In matters of politics and humanitarian concerns, Erdogan addressed the urgent developmental and social conditions in the Palestinian territories, stressing the importance of international and Islamic interventions to bolster the resilience of the Palestinian people and their institutions, particularly through economic aid programs for Jerusalem.

He also commended the launch of the COMCEC program for Syria, expressing profound gratitude to the General Secretariat for its continuous support and coordination with the organization's specialized bodies.