JEDDAH
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reiterated Turkey's support to Mali's government on Monday at the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) meeting of the Contact Group on Mali, calling all OIC countries for unity and solidarity.
OIC hosted the meeting of the Contact Group on the Mali crisis at its headquarters in Jeddah on Monday.
Speaking at the OIC meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu said that the economic and political support to Mali would increase thanks to the meeting.
"OIC is a big family. We must settle our problems by ourselves. Cooperation with Mali is not only a moral but also a political responsibility of all OIC countries," he said.
Reminding Mali's cultural heritage, Davutoglu noted "the mosques in northern Mali and the Ahmet Baba Library in Timbuktu are under destruction. The attacks to these cultural values are unacceptable. OIC must help protect these values. Turkey is ready to extend any help."
Davutoglu also expressed the importance of Mali's independence and territorial integrity, national reconciliation in the country as well as parties' laying down arms, ending hostilities and breaking off with terrorist groups.
"From the very beginning of the crisis in Mali, we have, as a brother country, extended our helping hand to our brothers. We exerted efforts to draw international attention to Mali. We gave some help by attending African Union Donors Conference. We are continuing our efforts towards securing Mali's territorial integrity and national unity, establishment of a democratic regime, and enabling sustainable economic development," added Davutoglu.
Finding Davutoglu's offer to host the next meeting of the Contact Group on Mali favourable, Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Tieman Hubert Coulibaly expressed his sorrow over latest bomb attacks in Reyhanlı town of Turkish southern province of Hatay.
Among the attendees of the the meeting, headed by the OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, were the former Italian Premier and United Nations Special Representative for the Sahel Romano Prodi, Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Djibrill Bassole, Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Tieman Hubert Coulibaly, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti. 24 countries attended at the level of ambassadors.
