Model OIC Summit highlights youth’s role in advancing justice for Palestine

ISTANBUL

Turkish Deputy Education Minister Omer Faruk Yelkenci said Friday that the sharp-minded and courageous youth of the Islamic world could achieve together what the United Nations “failed to accomplish despite hundreds of resolutions,” as the 5th International Model OIC High School Summit continued in Istanbul.

Being held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 in Istanbul, the summit replicates the work of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), giving high school students hands-on experience in diplomacy, negotiation, and multilateral decision-making.

Yelkenci said the presence of young delegates from across OIC countries offered “a great hope,” adding that their ideas and negotiations would guide adults in shaping solutions for global challenges.

His remarks came as the four-day summit, held under the theme "Justice for Palestine: Resistance Against Oppression," continued with committee work and high-level addresses focusing on Gaza and broader issues affecting the Islamic world.

Model OIC Club President Burak Omer Demir, addressing participants earlier in the day, paid tribute to Palestinians killed in Gaza and offered prayers for those “who are still standing against oppression, especially in Gaza and beyond.”

Demir said the war in Gaza revealed two fundamental truths: that the international order has failed to protect even the most basic human rights, and that no force can extinguish the resistance of people who are steadfast in their faith.

He described Gaza's resilience as "a lesson" for young people and urged delegates to unite, deepen cooperation, and equip themselves with the tools necessary to help reform the current international order.

Beyoglu Education and Culture Foundation (BECF) Chairman Saban Kurt also emphasized that every committee topic—from rebuilding conflict-affected regions to climate justice—is linked to the “shared pains” of the Islamic world, particularly Gaza.

“Every child suffering in Gaza, every attack on Jerusalem’s sanctity, gives meaning to your work here,” he said, noting that the summit has grown into a global platform drawing youth from dozens of countries.

He added that the delegates gathered in Istanbul “are already taking their place at the future tables of the OIC.”

As part of the ongoing program, World Ethnosport Confederation President Necmeddin Bilal Erdogan is scheduled to address a panel on the second day, while Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran will join the Sunday session.

The summit brings together 224 high school delegates from 56 OIC member states and countries with sizable Muslim communities. The previous High School Model OIC Summit was held on Jan. 4–7, 2024, under the theme “The Just Cause of Palestine: Establishing Permanent and Fair Peace.”