Erdogan at OIC: No to New Sykes-Picot Drawn in Blood

By Staff, Agencies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a resolute warning on Saturday against what he described as a renewed imperialist conspiracy to redraw the map of West Asia through bloodshed and coercion.

Speaking at the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, Erdogan called for Muslim nations to unite against "Israel's" expanding war campaign and the Western-led effort to fracture regional resistance. 

"We will not allow the establishment of a new Sykes-Picot order in our region with borders to be drawn in blood," Erdogan declared, referencing the colonial blueprint that dismembered the Ottoman realm and laid the groundwork for Western domination.

He denounced the genocidal siege of Gaza, now entering its 21st month, and likened its horrors to some of history's gravest atrocities.

"Two million of our sisters and brothers in Gaza have been struggling to survive under these conditions," he said.

The Turkish president's remarks came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Istanbul following an "Israeli" airstrike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, facilities monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Araghchi condemned the attack as a flagrant breach of international law and an "unforgivable crime," stressing that Iran will not remain passive in the face of such aggression.

"In accordance with our legitimate right to self-defense, the Islamic Republic will stand resolutely against the "Israeli" aggression and will respond to it as it sees fit," he affirmed.

Araghchi called on the OIC to take a firm stance, warning that "Israeli" provocations threaten not just Iran, but the stability of the entire region.

The Iranian delegation's demand for an emergency session was swiftly approved, resulting in a joint declaration by Muslim states condemning the attack and warning against any further targeting of nuclear sites.

The statement also reaffirmed a longstanding demand for a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East, calling out "Israel's" undeclared arsenal and refusal to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).