**ISTANBUL**
Syria on Saturday welcomed the decision by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to restore the country’s membership after the fall of the Bashar Assad regime.
“This decision represents a vital step toward Syria's return to the regional and international communities as a free and just state,” a Syrian Foreign Ministry statement said.
The statement reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to "the principles of the OIC, including cooperation, justice, and dignity."
The ministry expressed readiness to "work hand in hand with our brothers in the Islamic world to rebuild Syria and strengthen our region based on our shared values of justice, peace, and cooperation.”
Additionally, Syria emphasized its aspirations to “build a future where the Syrian people regain their rightful place among nations, contributing to a stronger and more unified Islamic world.”
On Friday, Syria successfully regained its membership in the OIC after being suspended for 13 years.
According to diplomatic sources, Türkiye's initiative during the OIC Extraordinary Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jeddah paved the way for Damascus' return to OIC.
On June 24, 2012, the ministerial-level Extraordinary Executive Committee of the OIC held in Jeddah discussed the situation in Syria and made a recommendation to suspend Syria's OIC membership at a time when the violence of the Assad regime against its own people was increasing.
Subsequently, at the 4th Extraordinary OIC Summit held in Mecca on August 14-15, 2012, Syria's OIC membership was suspended.
Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.
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