President Erdoğan receives Grand Youth Award from top OIC body
Grand Youth Award of Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), an affiliate of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) based in Istanbul, was presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Friday.
Erdoğan received the award at a ceremony held at Haliç University Congress Hall in Istanbul.
The award recognizes Erdoğan’s international efforts that set an example for Muslim youth around the world.
Along with Erdoğan and ICYF Chair Taha Ayhan, dignitaries from Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Minister of Sports and Youth Osman Aşkın Bak, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Jean Marie Karamoko Traore, Bosnia-Herzegovina Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, Chad’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Fadoul, Cameroon’s Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, UAE’s Assistant Minister for International Cooperation and Development Sultan al-Shamsi and Palestine’s Supreme Council for Youth and Sports President Jibril Rajoub.
Addressing the award ceremony, Erdoğan said he was honored to meet with participants and conveyed his greetings to young Muslims around the world, particularly those in Gaza.
“I send my heartfelt salutations and love to the brave youth of Palestine and Gaza who have been defending their homeland heroically for 622 days against the savage, ruthless and inhumane attacks of the Israeli government,” Erdoğan said. “I also salute the courageous women resisting barbarism, the orphans and fatherless children who, despite bearing heavy burdens, refuse to kneel before oppressors, and all our Palestinian brothers and sisters who uphold the dignity and honor of being Muslim under the harshest conditions. May Allah be with them all.”
Highlighting the importance of the ICYF’s work, Erdoğan praised the forum’s efforts in education, civil society, entrepreneurship, law, diplomacy, media, human rights and volunteerism. “These initiatives, from the Diplomacy Academy to the International Incubation Center, are of critical importance for our future,” he said.
He also pointed to initiatives such as the Gaza Tribunal formed by prominent global opinion leaders as vital in exposing “Israel’s bloody and treacherous face to the world.”
Erdoğan noted that the ICYF, which has diplomatic status, plays a significant role in representing Muslim youth globally through partnerships with international organizations. “Since 2019, the forum has held 262 programs reaching more than 15 million young people and has clubs at 817 universities in over 70 countries. Twenty-five thousand students in these clubs are continuing their academic pursuits with educational materials prepared by various universities in Turkey and abroad,” he said.
Addressing the broader challenges facing the Muslim world, Erdoğan said, “We are going through a difficult time. War, conflict and instability have unfortunately darkened the skies over our civilization’s geography.”
“In Gaza, people standing in line for a piece of bread or a bowl of soup are being brutally targeted. Israel, which now complains of damage to its hospitals, has carried out more than 700 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza,” he said. “For 21 months, one of the most shameful acts of modern barbarism has been taking place in Gaza. Those who have turned Gaza into the world’s largest concentration camp have no right to speak of war crimes, doing so is not just hypocrisy, but sheer shamelessness and arrogance,” Erdoğan said.
He directly blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for the situation. “The primary culprit behind the genocide in Gaza is the Netanyahu government. However, those who remain silent in the face of this killing machine are complicit in these crimes,” he said. “Netanyahu and his government, with their lawless and arrogant atrocities, have etched their names alongside tyrants like Hitler and Pol Pot. Powers with influence over Israel must not fall into Netanyahu’s trap and should instead use their leverage to help establish a ceasefire and calm in the region,” he added.
Despite pressure from pro-Israeli lobbies, Erdoğan said Türkiye would not back down from its position. “We have never wavered in our stance or hesitated to side with the oppressed. Today, we continue to stand firmly in the same place. We say peace, diplomacy, and justice. We say, ‘Long live free Palestine.’”
“As Türkiye, we once again declare our support for the people of Palestine. All 86 million of us stand with our Palestinian brothers and sisters and will continue to do so,” Erdoğan said.
He concluded by urging restraint to prevent further escalation: “It is essential to pull the fingers off the triggers before more destruction, bloodshed, and civilian casualties occur. Both the genocide in Gaza and the ongoing conflict (between Iran and Israel) is rapidly heading toward a point of no return. This lawlessness and madness must end immediately,” he said.
For his part, ICYF chair Taha Ayhan said at the ceremony that Erdoğan’s vision instilled hope to Turkish nation, Muslim community around the world and the world in general. “You are mentioned with blessings everywhere. Your unifying leadership agreed upon by Turkish nation, Muslim ummah and the world sets an example for the youth. I am assured that the Muslim world, the world will overcome the crisis it currently faces thanks to your leadership,” Ayhan said. “Inspired by you, the youth will resolutely work for a better future for the ummah and humanity. Your strong stand and strong will instills confidence in the youth. As the youth of the ummah, we pledge to stand with you in your struggle, to work in full force for the ummah and stand strong against oppression. With these efforts, liberation of Palestine is near. End of tears for Muslim communities is near, prevalence of justice is near. We believe the justice will be restored by youth,” he said.
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