1.
SV and CU Janissary band outside Palace of culture (3 shots)
0.26

2.
CU Officials arrive
0.29

3.
CU Guard in traditional uniform
0.37

4.
SV Delegates from Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon arrive (4 shots)
1.03

5.
SV PAN more delegates arrive
1.12

6.
TGV PAN INTERIOR delegates seated while prayers said (2 shots)
1.30

7.
CU delegates seated
1.31

8.
SV Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Caglayangil receives chairman's hammer and take's chairman's seat (2 shots)
1.54

9.
GV and SV delegates applaud Turkish Prime Minister Demirel on rostrum.
2.05


JANISSARY BAND: PALACE OF CULTURE: OFFICIALS: GUARDS IN TRADITIONAL UNIFORM: DELEGATES FROM IRAQ, IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA AND CAMEROON ARRIVING: DELEGATES SEATED: TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER CAGLAYANGIL: TURKISH PRIME MINISTER MR. DEMIREL ON ROSTRUM.




Initials RH/1740 RH/PK/MR/1800



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The seventh Islamic Foreign Ministers Conference opened in Istanbul on Wednesday (12 May), with the Palestinian and Cyprus issues expected to dominate discussion of Moslem problems on the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Foreign Ministers from the 42-member conference filed into the city's newly-built Cultural Palace, to the music of a red-robed Janissary band. Ironically, it was Janissary bands which led Ottoman (Turkish) forces in their conquest of much of the Arab world. Many of the countries represented once lived under colonial rule from Istanbul, formerly the capital of eastern Christendom and later the Islamic Caliphs.

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Ishan Sabri Caglayangil, chaired the opening session after prayers, the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Suleyman Demirel, opened the conference as his Government announced it would allow the Palestine Liberation Organisation to open an office in Turkey. The session also accepted the former French Indian Ocean Territory of the Comoro Islands as its 42nd member.

In his speech, Mr. Demirel condemned the "oppression and distress" of the Palestinians and the Turkish Cypriots. According to Reuters, his linking of the two issues appeared to be a reply to Greek efforts to woo the Arabs onto their side over the Cyprus question.