Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is traveling to Doha today to attend the Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League, where regional leaders will discuss Israel’s ongoing assaults on Gaza and possible joint responses.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is traveling to Doha today to attend the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League, where regional leaders will discuss Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza.

The summit, hosted by Qatar with Türkiye’s backing in its capacity as OIC Council of Foreign Ministers chair, comes amid mounting regional outrage over Israel’s nearly two-year-long assault on Gaza. Tensions escalated further following a September 9 Israeli strike targeting Hamas negotiators in Qatar, an incident that triggered widespread condemnation and calls for urgent international action.

Erdoğan is expected to deliver a strong speech, reiterating Türkiye’s position that Israel’s attacks amount to “massacres” and demanding an immediate ceasefire. Turkish officials have indicated that Erdoğan will urge Muslim nations to take united and decisive steps to halt what Ankara describes as a campaign of genocide against Gaza’s civilian population.

Ahead of the summit, Erdoğan held talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, assuring him of Turkey’s full solidarity and discussing potential joint measures to respond to Israel’s escalating strikes.

During Erdoğan’s trip, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz will temporarily assume presidential duties under Article 106 of the Turkish Constitution, as confirmed by an official notice published in the Official Gazette.

This is the third extraordinary OIC summit convened since Israel’s first large-scale offensive on Gaza began in October 2023, signaling the urgency Muslim leaders attach to the worsening humanitarian crisis. Observers expect the Doha summit to produce strong political statements and potentially coordinated diplomatic and economic measures aimed at holding Israel accountable and supporting Gaza’s beleaguered population. (ILKHA)