Istanbul set to host CICA summit today

The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) will take place in Istanbul today with the participation of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel is set to be represented by Gaby Levy, its ambassador to Ankara, and Israel's deadly raid last week on a Gaza aid flotilla which set out from Turkey is expected to headline the summit. During his bilateral talks during the gathering, President Abdullah Gul will call on members of CICA, which Israel is a member of, to protest the raid and the continued blockade of Gaza.