Egypt hosts D-8 Muslim country heads; Masoud, Erdogan face off amid focus on Syria, Gaza

The leaders of Turkey and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries, meeting for the first time since the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey historically backed the opposition to Assad, while Iran supported his rule.

The gathering of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil including the conflict in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and unrest in Syria.

In a speech to the summit, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for unity and reconciliation in Syria, urging “the restoration of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity”.

He also voiced hope for “the establishment of a Syria free of terrorism”, where “all religious sects and ethnic groups live side by side in peace”.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged action to address the crises in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, saying that it is a “religious, legal and human duty to prevent further harm” to those suffering in these conflict zones.

Pezeshkian, who arrived in Cairo on Wednesday, is the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who visited in 2013.

Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi visited Egypt in October, while his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty travelled to Tehran in July to attend Pezeshkian’s inauguration.

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Ahead of the summit, the Iranian top diplomat said he hoped it would “send a strong message to the world that the Israeli aggressions and violations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria” would end “immediately”.

Erdogan was in Egypt earlier this year, and discussed with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi economic cooperation as well as regional conflicts.

Established in 1997, the D-8 aims to foster cooperation among member states, spanning regions from Southeast Asia to Africa.

The organisation includes Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia as member states.