Continued support for Muslim TCs

THE Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will continue its support for “the rightful cause of the Muslim Turkish Cypriots who constitute an integral part of the Islamic world and for a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus issue”, the organisation’s secretary-general, Yousef A AlOthaimeen, said on Thursday.

He was speaking while receiving Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay and TRNC delegation at his office in Jeddah.

An OIC statement said their discussion has “focused on a wide range of issues pertaining to OICNorthern Cyprus relations”.

It added: “The secretarygeneral suggested to the minister increasing bilateral interactions with OIC member states and institutions to strengthen relations.”

On his return from Saudi Arabia, where he had been invited for a day of high-level meetings, Dr Özersay described his contacts as “fruitful”.

He also met with Mansur Muhktar, the vice-president of the Islamic Development Bank, and said he had been assured of the bank’s continuing support for the TRNC’s projects, especially in the fields of education and health.