At Baku Summit, Turkey and over 10 countries boycott Israeli President's speech

A major diplomatic incident occurred during the international summit held in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. At the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), a delegation led by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, along with representatives from more than 10 countries, staged an open boycott by demonstratively leaving the assembly hall while Israeli President Isaac Herzog was delivering his speech.

This step demonstrated the firm and uncompromising position of a number of states against Tel Aviv's policy amid the acute geopolitical crisis in the Middle East.

Demarche at the Baku Summit: How did it happen?

Events that drew the attention of international diplomatic circles at the 7th CICA summit held on October 15:

• Protest during the speech: As the head of the Israeli state, Isaac Herzog, took the rostrum to address the summit participants, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stood up and left the hall;

• Widespread support: Following the head of Turkey's foreign policy department, official representatives and delegation members from more than 10 other countries participating in the summit also followed suit and emptied the hall;

• Diplomatic signal: This demarche caused more sensation than the official statements on the summit agenda, becoming yet another vivid expression of the growing diplomatic isolation and pressure against the Israeli leadership in the international arena.

Geopolitical reasons behind the boycott

This sharp protest is directly related to the ongoing military operations and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, particularly around Gaza and Lebanon:

• Ankara's firm position: In recent months, the Turkish side has severely condemned Israel's military operations and actions against civilians, demanding strict restrictions at the level of international organizations;

• Regional solidarity: The simultaneous walkout by representatives of more than 10 other countries showed that many nations of Asia and the Islamic world are acting as a united front on this issue.

This incident at the Baku summit indicates that political divisions are deepening further even on major platforms where regional security and cooperation issues are discussed.