1.
GV Blue Mosque
0.03

2.
LV PAN DOWN FROM Minaret TO people at prayer in courtyard
0.26

3.
SV Turkish ministers arrive
0.34

4.
STV Other delegates arrive
0.43

5.
CU INT Priests
0.47

6.
CU Turkish Premier Demirel walks forward to priests (2 shots)
0.58

7.
CU Turkish and Saudi delegates at prayer (2 shots)
1.09

8.
CU Priests and delegates praying (2 shots)
1.17

9.
LV Other people at prayer
1.20



Initials BB/1805 DE/MR/BB/1820



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Political disputes split the seventh Islamic Foreign Minsters conference -- but the 42 delegations form Africa, Asia and the Middle East showed their spiritual unity with prayers at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday (14 May).

The foreign minsters answered a call to prayer by 16 Muezzins hailing the faithful from the six minarets of the Blue Mosque -- so called because of its 17th century wall decorations. It is the only mosque in the world with six minarets.

But scores of resolutions and a joint communique did not show the same unanimity on political questions discussed during the meeting.

Conference sources said there were differences between Arab and African states on the question of Eritrea, Ethiopia, where Moslem separatists are fighting a guerrilla war against the Ethiopian government.

The conference was extended for a day by a head-on clash between Egypt and Syria over middle East policy. Reports said the two Arab states had worked out a compromise resolution for presentation to a final plenary session.

The three-day conference had been due to end on Friday, but the row blew up on the final day over a draft resolution which said the conference should demand Israel's expulsion from the Untied Nations.