The ministers of the member states come together in İstanbul every November to attend this meeting; however, in addition to ministers, this year’s meeting was also attended by heads of state from the member states to review the work done over the last 25 years and to devise future policies.By hosting this event, Turkey has boosted its image and prestige in the Islamic world and contributed to regional diplomacy. Parallel to the increased influence of Turkey through the work of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, the OIC has become an important actor. The next OIC meeting will be held in Cairo. The periodic meetings will be held every two years instead of three from now on. The meetings may even become annual considering the growing importance of the organization. The OIC is no longer a toothless organization; in the past, it used to issue rather mild and timid warnings addressing the Palestinian question, getting Islamic countries together on a regular basis. It has now become a respected organization seeking ways to ensure integration and close cooperation between Islamic countries, taking bold steps to address the issues surrounding the member states and promoting fundamental rights and freedoms in Islamic countries.
Subsequent to the COMCEC meeting in İstanbul, the OIC also held a separate event in Baku on Nov. 11-12 as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, titled “Inter-Civilizational Dialogue: Insight from Azerbaijan.” The international conference, sponsored by the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA), attracted extensive participation from diplomats, academics and members of think tanks from the US, Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.
Despite being a small country, Azerbaijan has contributed extensively to Islamic civilization in the last three decades and was the first Islamic country to feature opera in 1908. It was the first to use the Latin alphabet and has made contributions to Islamic enlightenment through its poets and thinkers.
Azerbaijan is particularly uncomfortable with the possibility that the Turkish-Armenian border will be opened without Armenian withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh. For this reason, it is seeking the support of Islamic countries with regard to this dispute. However, Middle Eastern countries, including Syria and Lebanon, which host sizeable Armenian populations, have taken a positive stance vis-à-vis Turkey’s decision to open the border with Armenia. Baku is the primary reason for its current isolation in the Islamic world because it failed to promote its cause and launch lobbying activities in the Islamic world. Now it is pondering how to deal with this isolation. Luckily, Azerbaijan realized that it will not be able to become a world state by defining its foreign policy based on Moscow’s wishes and remaining in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Azerbaijan and its capital of Baku are going through a huge transformation. While there were only two 16-flat buildings in Baku up until 2000, when an earthquake shook the city, the number of such buildings has increased considerably. However, local people are particularly concerned that an earthquake will devastate the city because the quake risk and traffic infrastructure were not considered during the construction of these buildings. Old buildings are renovated in the city, whose wealth is obvious from the proliferation of luxury cars and stores. The presence of young and talented names in bureaucratic institutions, including the ADA, is attracting attention; Azerbaijan is moving forward to become a world state owing to the presence of this dynamic youth.
