D-8 secretary-general holds talks with Turkish officials in Ankara

D-8 Secretary-General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood held meetings with Turkish officials, parliamentarians, researchers, academics and industry representatives on Monday and Tuesday, focusing on strengthening institutional partnerships and practical cooperation.

According to a statement released on Thursday by the organization, Mahmood, who is Pakistan's former foreign secretary, met Ambassador Aylin Sekizkök, D-8 commissioner of Türkiye, at the Turkish Foreign Ministry to discuss the organization's institutional capacity, sectoral cooperation and engagement with member states and partners.

The D-8 is an organization for development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. Azerbaijan was admitted as the ninth member in 2024.

Mahmood thanked Türkiye for its continued support as a founding member and host of the D-8 Secretariat, and welcomed its hosting of the first D-8 International Ministerial Meeting on Environment in Istanbul in July, which produced the "Istanbul Declaration" ahead of COP31.

He also held talks with Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) Director General Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk on cooperation in statistics, socioeconomic research and capacity-building, and with Center for Strategic Research (SAM) President Ramazan Erdağ on joint research and policy initiatives.

At OSTIM Technical University, Mahmood discussed expanding D-8 cooperation in artificial intelligence, innovation, entrepreneurship, startups, SMEs, and university-industry partnerships.

At the Turkish parliament, he met lawmaker Burhan Kayatürk to discuss economic cooperation, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, emphasizing greater parliamentary engagement with the D-8.

Mahmood also attended an Indonesian Embassy reception marking the country's 81st Independence Day.

The D-8 said the visit reflected Mahmood's focus on action-oriented diplomacy and broader institutional cooperation. Muhammad Bilal Khan, executive assistant to the secretary-general, accompanied him.