Turkey absent from inauguration of international conference in Cairo

Turkey has decided not to attend the inaugural event for the tenth session of an international conference convened at the level of senior officials in Cairo.

The G8’s Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) initiative inaugurated the tenth session of its annual Forum for the Future, which is the centrepiece of the BMENA, on Monday. However Turkey, despite being a member, did not attend the inauguration.

A diplomatic source told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Turkey does not plan to attend Tuesday’s session scheduled for prime ministers, either.

So far, no official comments by Turkish officials have been reported on the issue.

The G8 members, Turkey, Pakistan and all Arab states are members of the BMENA, which was founded in 2004. It aims to improve the quality of engagement between civil society and government. As the current head of the G8, the UK is co-chairing today’s session.