Pakistan, Türkiye, Palestine and Iran Delegations Walk Out During Israeli President’s Speech at Baku Summit

Delegations from Pakistan, Türkiye, Palestine and Iran walked out of the plenary session of the seventh Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Baku on Thursday as Israeli President Isaac Herzog began his address.

The walkout was part of a broader protest in which representatives from several other countries also left the hall during Herzog’s speech, highlighting opposition to Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was among the officials who walked out. Earlier, Fidan had called on CICA member states to adopt a firm stance against what he described as Israel’s systematic oppression of Palestinians. He also urged the international community to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

Addressing the summit, Herzog called for stronger cooperation between Israel and Asian countries in areas including technology, agriculture, energy and artificial intelligence. Rejecting boycotts, he said, “Peace cannot exist with terror, and cooperation cannot thrive with boycotts.”

The Israeli president also praised Azerbaijan for hosting the summit and highlighted its role as a regional partner.

The gathering brought together leaders and senior officials from across Asia and the Middle East, including representatives of countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

The walkout underscored the diplomatic divisions surrounding Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians, with several participating countries using their presence at the regional forum to signal their opposition to those policies.