Pakistan, others walk out as Israeli president speaks at CICA summit in Azerbaijan

Turkish foreign minister says CICA member states must take a firm stance in supporting the rights of Palestine

BAKU:

Representatives of several countries, including Pakistan, left the gathering hall on Thursday as Israel’s president began his speech at an Asian security summit in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.

As Isaac Herzog began his speech around noon at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit, representatives of more than 10 countries walked out of the gathering hall.

A similar walkout was seen at September’s UN General Assembly high-level week in New York during a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister.

Read: Inside the UN walkout: Who left and who stayed for Netanyahu’s speech

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and representatives from more than 10 other countries walked out of the hall as Israeli President Isaac Herzog commenced his address at the 7th CICA Summit on October 15, in Baku, Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/odkovNAjAj

— TRT World (@trtworld) October 15, 2026

Thursday’s one-day summit, hosted by Azerbaijan as the current CICA chair, brought together representatives of member states, observer countries, and partner international organisations.

Discussions were set to focus on regional cooperation, connectivity, digitalisation, and sustainable development under Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the group.

WATCH: Delegations from Türkiye, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority walked out as Israeli President Isaac Herzog began speaking at the CICA summit in Baku today. pic.twitter.com/bt5m1lPmzA

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 15, 2026

The summit was expected to adopt a Baku declaration and a statement on cooperation in occupational safety and health, as well as announce Laos' accession as a new member.

Turkish foreign minister urges CICA members to support Palestinian rights

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that CICA member states must take a firm stance in supporting the rights of Palestine, which was among the group’s members, as well as in opposing ongoing oppression and grave violations.

Addressing the 7th CICA Summit in Baku, Fidan said: “We cannot uphold this commitment while Israel, a CICA member, violates the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people through a systematic policy of oppression.”

LIVE: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks at the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Azerbaijan's capital Baku https://t.co/2Maidcix4q

— TRT World (@trtworld) October 15, 2026

“A lasting solution requires the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he stressed.

Fidan stressed that a stronger CICA was essential to ensuring peace and prosperity at a time when Asia’s rise was shaping the global landscape.

“Turkiye is committed to strengthening CICA as Asia’s most inclusive security forum,” he said.