Page 152 - A Call for a Turkish-Islamic Union

A CALL FOR A TURKISH-ISLAMIC UNION

in which products, services, capital, and labor

freely circulate between member states; a union
having a common currency, compatible laws, and
even state bureaucracies. Today, the EU is one of
the major players on the international political
stage.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference
(OIC) has 56 member states and is the largest
Muslim organization in terms of number of mem-
bers and of geography. In addition, there are sev-

eral regional military and trade alliances between
neighboring Muslim nations, each of which ful-
fills important functions and represents a positive
development. However, the Islamic world needs
a more comprehensive union, one with perma-
nent institutions empowered to take binding de-
cisions, develop and implement common policies,

represent the entire Islamic world, and produce
solutions for all Muslims rather than just in a few
regional hotspots. This union's power must be
economic, military, and social. The existence of
such a union will create an environment of mu-
tual trust and agreement so that a sense of soli-
darity will develop. Accordingly, the member
states' security concerns will be addressed, and
the resulting extensive cooperation will result in

higher standards of living in the member states.
Acting as one body in all affairs concerning it, ei-
ther directly or indirectly, this world will be able
to develop strategies that are in the Islamic
world's best interest.

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