OIC head: we are the world's first international organization supporting legitimate demands of Libyans

TRIPOLI (A.A) – December 16, 2011 – Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said that OIC was the first international organization in the world which supported the legitimate demands of Libyan people. Speaking to AA in Tripoli on Friday, Ihsanoglu said that OIC had been supporting Libyan people since February 22, while many countries and international organizations had been in hesitation. As an active member of international contact group, we supported Libyan people in the UN, said Ihsanoglu, adding that OIC also extended humanitarian assistance to Libya. We sent help from Egyptian border as well as Tunisian border, and we extended financial assistance, and we also transported 18,000 Africans to their countries by planes, said Ihsanoglu. Also commenting on incidents in Syria, Ihsanoglu said that an external military intervention should not be made in Syria. Noting that recently, OIC gathered foreign ministers and gave a very clear message about Syrian issue, Ihsanoglu said that OIC, on behalf of 57 countries, asked Syrian administration to end bloodshed and violence, and to begin talks with legitimate representatives of Syrian people. He said that OIC was supporting the measures taken by Arab League. Ihsanoglu said that an external military intervention would cause a civil war and big problems in the region.