Cameroon´s PM Yang Philemon represents President Paul Biya at the Islamic world leaders summit in Turkey

The Prime Minister and Head of Government Philemon Yang is representing President Paul Biya in the 13th edition of the Islamic Cooperation Organization Summit which began 15th April 2016 in Istanbul, Capital of Turkey.

The two day summit is focused on the Palestinian crisis, conflicts in member states and ways of fighting against terrorism. The summit which is being represented by over 30 countries was founded in 1969 to safeguard and protect the interest of the Muslim world in promoting international peace and harmony. The Organisation is made up of a total of 57 member states.

Prominent guests at the meeting include Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, whose countries find themselves on opposing sides in the Syria and Yemen conflicts. 

Turkey has said it wants to use the meeting to narrow differences between the world's estimated 1.7 billion Muslims.

However, the gathering risks being overshadowed by disputes on issues ranging from Syria to Yemen.

Notable absentees

There is a security lockdown around the summit venue in Istanbul, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire from where the Ottoman sultans for centuries ruled Muslims from the Balkans to Arabia.

While the summit marks one of the most significant gatherings of heads of state for years in Istanbul, some prominent leaders such as Jordan's King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will be notable by their absence.

CRTV