OIC suspends Syria's membership

10:43, 16 August 2012

RIYADH. August 16. KAZINFORM The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) announced early Thursday the suspension of Syria from the 57-member bloc.

The decision was proclaimed in a statement issued at the end of an extraordinary OIC conference held in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Xinhua reports.

The organization also stressed the need to immediately end the acts of violence in Syria, which has been torn by deadly turmoil for 17 months.

The proposal to suspend Syria's membership from the 57-member body was made Monday by OIC foreign ministers at a meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of the Syrian Parliament Khaled Aboud said Wednesday that the suspension would have no negative impact on the country, adding that even if the proposal was approved by the OIC ministers, it would not affect Syria in terms of its economic, political and military situations.

Iran ian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Tuesday that Iran is against the suspension, while Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdesslem said most Islamic countries were in favor of the OIC's proposal.