Physical Address
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The 5th International Organization of Islamic Cooperation (Model OIC) High School Summit concluded Monday with the adoption of the “Istanbul Declaration,” in which student delegates from across the Islamic world called for justice for Palestine, structural reforms to the global governance system, deeper cooperation among OIC member states and stronger mechanisms for youth participation in policymaking.
Hosted over four days in Istanbul by the Beyoğlu Anatolian Imam Hatip High School (AIHL) in partnership with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) and the Beyoğlu Education and Culture Foundation (BECF), the summit convened young delegates from dozens of countries.
Students engaged in committee sessions addressing Palestine, Syria, defense-industry collaboration and climate change, before consolidating their recommendations into a unified declaration. Following the presentation of the document, organizers presented commemorative gifts to all participants.
Presenting the declaration, Omar Abdurrahman of Lebanon, representing Albania in the Council of Al-Quds, opened by emphasizing unity grounded in Islamic principles. He referenced the Quranic call to “hold fast to the rope of Allah,” urging young people “to be the leaders of today and tomorrow.”
Aya al-Asi of Palestine, who represented Türkiye in the Council of Foreign Ministers, delivered a firm critique of “the failure of international organizations to protect the most basic human rights” in Gaza and condemned “the Zionist entity and its supporters.” She also reaffirmed support for Syria’s reconstruction and territorial integrity.
Kamaluddin Ali of Benin, representing Suriname in the Council of Al-Quds, highlighted the strategic need to strengthen defense industries as a route to “independence, security, and peace,” while warning of mounting risks associated with global warming.
Speaking on behalf of Tajikistan in the ICM Committee, Baken Gawhar of Kazakhstan advocated “legal and economic measures” to support Palestine and called for reforms to an international system that “marginalizes Muslim communities.”
Rizana Kayoshi of Kosovo, representing Niger in the ComSec Committee, underscored the importance of advancing cooperation on Syria’s postwar recovery, accelerating defense-industry development, and building collective climate-resilience frameworks across the Islamic world.
Closing the declaration, Muhammed Yusuf Geksu of Türkiye, representing Thailand in the ICM Committee, conveyed “high appreciation” to the partner institutions and described the gathering as “the most attended and a generally successful” iteration of the summit to date.
During the closing ceremony, Beyoğlu Education and Culture Foundation President Saban Kurt reflected on the summit’s four days of rainfall, noting that, in Islamic tradition, persistent rain symbolizes blessing. He urged students not to forget Istanbul, Palestine or Gaza, saying: “If we forget Palestine, we forget our own past, most importantly, we forget that we are human beings.”
ICYF President Taha Ayhan praised the discipline, professionalism and commitment demonstrated by participating students, describing the summit as a “leading platform” for substantive youth engagement. “The skills you strengthen here are vital for global engagement and deeply connected to the Islamic principles of consultation, cooperation and excellence,” he said.
Deputy Education Minister Celile Eren Ökten highlighted the central role of identity, memory and cultural continuity in youth leadership. “Remembering is family, remembering is identity,” she said, encouraging students to build on their summit experience as they pursue future achievements.
Throughout the summit, delegates worked in parallel English- and Arabic-language committees addressing Gaza, Syria’s revival, defense-industry coordination and climate policy. These deliberations were later integrated into a single Islamic Summit session, during which all committees merged their resolutions, ultimately forming the Istanbul Declaration.
In his address summarizing the program, Burak Ömer Demir, founding president of the Beyoğlu AIHL Model OIC Club, highlighted the “vigorous schedule” of multilingual committee meetings, underscoring that discussions on Palestine, Syria’s rebuilding process, defense-industry cooperation and climate action formed the backbone of the agenda. He described the summit’s mosque visits and joint worship activities as efforts to give delegates “a good sentiment of Istanbul being the center of your life.”
Demir expressed gratitude to the ICYF, the Beyoğlu Education and Culture Foundation, Beyoğlu AIHL, and the student organizing team that “worked tirelessly for about four months,” as well as the delegates who continued lobbying efforts “until midnight.”
Following him, Model OIC Club Secretary-General Ömer Faruk Güleş noted that “every idea you shared” strengthened the summit’s collective vision, emphasizing that participants’ contributions were “the reason our hopes for the future remain strong.” He introduced the Istanbul Declaration as a document “crafted with collective dedication to make the youth voice heard.”
Delivering the summit’s final address, Presidential Chief Adviser Israfil Kışla congratulated the organizers and commended the delegates’ work on justice, particularly regarding Palestine. He described their efforts as especially meaningful “in an era where Western values, human rights and equality do not exist in practice.”
“You will shape the future of the countries,” he told the students. “May Allah enable you to establish a just system in which the rights of the people are not crushed by the strong.”
