Turkish official says Sudanese president free to visit despite international arrest warrant

Ankara: A foreign ministry official says Sudan's indicted president is free to attend a meeting of Islamic nations in Turkey despite an international arrest warrant against him.

Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, is expected to arrive in Istanbul this weekend to attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference.

The official says Thursday that Turkey is not a party to the International Criminal Court and has no obligation or intention to arrest Al Bashir. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to media.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Afghan President Hamid Karzai are also expected to attend the meeting next Monday.Turkish official says Sudanese president free to visit despite international arrest warrant