Omar Hassan al-Bashir
The European Union asked Turkey to reassess its invitation to Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, wanted by a U.N. court for war crimes, the Reuters news agency reported Friday, citing an anonymous Foreign Ministry source.
Al-Bashir is set to attend a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, or OIC, in Istanbul this weekend. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court, or ICC, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Turkish President Abdullah Gül responded to journalists’ inquiries later on Friday about reconsidering al-Bashir’s visit, the Anatolia news agency reported.
“This is a regional meeting, and as members of international organizations we understand it as such,” he said. “Therefore, we will treat all members equally.”
“Why are they getting involved?” he asked.
Hurriyet Daily News
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