Chief of the world's largest Islamic body has opposed to any foreign military intervention in Syria to end the a year-long violence in the country Today`s Zaman reported
"Everyone is against a military intervention and there are important reasons for that objection. Such an option will bring more destruction and we are against it," Ekmeleddin İhsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) told a news conference on Friday at the United Nations ahead of his meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
İhsanoglu said a political negotiation process could only begin if a ceasefire was secured and the bloodshed ended, adding that the way of the Syria crisis was only possible through "a comprehensive solution."
The OIC chief said it is important to win Russian and Chinese support to devise ways to end the crisis, adding that a possible Security Council resolution should be the work of a joint effort.
"The Security Council is locked because of the Russian and the Chinese vetoes. And unlocking the process needs convincing these two countries, especially Russia. I am hopeful that the bloodshed can be stopped if some degree understanding is achieved with Russia," İhsanoğlu underlined.
İhsanoğlu added that a joint UN-OIC team of humanitarian officials have arrived in Damascus to assess the situation and needs of the Syrian people. "Political and humanitarian aspects of the issue should be separated from each other, and the humanitarian efforts should not be politicized. We have to send aid to Syria at once because hundreds of thousands of people are affected from the crisis," he said.
İhsanoğlu said Turkey played a "key role" in solving the Syria crisis, adding that no settlement was possible without Turkey's involvement in the process. "Given Turkey's political power in the region and its rising role in the international arena any solution is impossible to achieve without Turkey," he concluded.