On March 8, Syria’s membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which had been suspended for 13 years, was reactivated following an initiative by Türkiye.

According to diplomatic sources, Türkiye’s efforts during the OIC Extraordinary Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jeddah facilitated Syria’s return. The issue was added to the meeting agenda, which was attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The draft resolution was adopted, reinstating Syria’s membership, after which Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Shaibani was invited to take his seat at the meeting.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov addressed the extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Saudi Arabia. Bayramov extended his best wishes to the Islamic world for the holy month of Ramadan and expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, emphasizing that the loss of civilian lives, infrastructure destruction, and shortages of food and water were unacceptable.

He stated that the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inadmissibility of force under international law should be upheld. Azerbaijan welcomed the ceasefire reached in January and stressed the need to maintain it while advancing a sustainable peace process based on international law and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.

Bayramov reiterated Azerbaijan’s support for a two-state solution in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

The minister also highlighted Azerbaijan’s humanitarian contributions, noting that since 2023, Azerbaijan has provided $2 million in aid to Palestine. Additionally, Azerbaijan has allocated the "Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant" to 15 Palestinian students for the 2024-2025 academic year and committed to building a 600-student school in Nablus.

During his speech, Bayramov congratulated Syria on its reinstatement in the OIC and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s support for Syria’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and lasting peace. He also endorsed Egypt’s reconstruction plan for Gaza, which was approved at the Extraordinary Arab Summit on March 4.