Istanbul – Muslim countries, which are holding a Conference in Istanbul have agreed to set up a centre for police cooperation and coordination to help combat terrorism, the group announced on Friday.
The final communique from the heads of state summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said that the centre would be set up in Istanbul, without more details.
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hosting the summit, had called for more cooperation among Islamic nations to deal with crises affecting their countries rather than relying on outside forces.
The communique from the 57-member-state grouping was also sharply critical of Iran, a Shiite nation, which is locked in a regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia, a Sunni monarchy.
Both Saudi king, Salman, and Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, attended the conference.
The final statement condemned Iran’s interventions in Bahrain, Yemen and Syria.
Saudi Arabia is also deeply involved in those countries, including carrying out a bombing campaign in Yemen and backing rebels in Syria. Iran supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The criticism highlights some sectarian lines in the Islamic world, in spite of repeated remarks by Erdogan, urging Muslims to put aside the differences between Sunnis and Shiites which had been causing increased tensions in recent years.
The conference was strongly supportive of the Palestinians and their desire to form an independent state and end the Israeli occupation.
The final statement also said that “freedom struggle must not be equated with terrorism within the context of Kashmir’’.
Erdogan has repeatedly stressed his view that there should be no distinction between types of terrorism. (dpa/NAN)