Iran has come in for criticism from leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations at a summit in Istanbul
ADVERTISEMENTIran has come in for criticism from leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations at a summit in Istanbul.
A final communique from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said it “deplored” what it calls Iran’s “interference in the internal affairs of states in the region” and also Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and Somalia.
Iran was also accused by the leaders of continuing to “support terrorism”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the summit: “To solve the problems of the Muslim world, the most important things we need are unity, solidarity and cooperation.
“At this summit, our biggest expectation is for Islamic countries throughout the world to give a message of unity and togetherness to all Muslims.”
The criticism of Iran comes just a day after the Iranian President urged the leaders to avoid messages that he said would “fuel division” in the Muslim world.
The final communique from the summit had four sections on Iran:
“The Conference stressed the need for the cooperative relations between Islamic States and the Islamic Republic of Iran to be based on the principle of good-neighborliness, non-interference in their domestic affairs, respect for their independence and territorial sovereignty, resolving differences by peaceful means in accordance with the OIC and the UN charters and the principles of international law, and refraining from the use or threat of force.
“The Conference condemned the aggressions against the missions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Tehran and Mashhad in Iran, which constitute a flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and international law which guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic missions.
“The Conference rejected Iran’s inflammatory statements on the execution of judicial decisions against the perpetrators of terrorist crimes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, considering those statements a blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a contravention of the United Nations Charter, the OIC Charter and of all international covenants.
“The Conference deplored Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of the States of the region and other Member States including Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and Somalia, and its continued support for terrorism.”