It is with a heavy heart that the D-8 Secretariat announce the death of the former Executive Director of the D-8 Secretariat (1997-2006), Ambassador Ayhan Kamel in Ankara, Republic of Turkey after a brief illness.

Ambassador Kamel (1933-2019) is a graduate of Political Science and Law from Ankara University. He joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1960 and held several positions including Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Republic of Austria and the Russian Federation.

He was appointed the Executive Director of the D-8 after the organization was established in 1997. He held this position and supervised the take off of the Organization until the establishment of the Secretariat in 2006.

Ambassador Kamel has a number of academic works to his credit. He has also published four books: Moscow Memories; The Genuine Friend: Pakistan; Turkey under the Pincer of Foreign Policy; and The Fiasco of Latest Overtures in Foreign Policy.

The D-8 Secretariat wishes to commiserate with the family of this skillful diplomat and steadfast public servant whose life recorded a pattern of good works.