Sudan President Al Bashir to attend summit of African leaders in Turkey

Istanbul: Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir will attend a summit of African leaders in Turkey this week, in what is his first trip abroad being indicted by an international court for genocide.

Bashir, is due to arrive in Istanbul later on Monday to take part in the Turkish-African summit August 19-20, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said.

International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo demanded a court issue an arrest warrant for Bashir last month.

Turkey has refused to speculate what would occur if the ICC warrant is issued while Bashir is there.

"Bashir was invited to the summit as an African country leader and there is no arrest warrant against him at his moment. If there are any requests, we will evaluate them then," a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said.

The summit is expected to be attended by leaders from 40 African countries, as energy-thirsty Turkey seeks to tap into the African continent's vast resources.