The Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit started with talks among high-level officials from around 50 countries.

Heads of state, including al-Bashir, will meet this afternoon.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was not expected to attend.

The summit in Turkey's cultural and financial centre is part of the country's intensifying efforts to expand ties and increase trade volume with the African continent.

Turkey has increased its trade volume with African nations from around US$5,4 billion to US$13 billion in less then three years, and is targeting US$30 billion by the end of 2010.

Al-Bashir was accused last month by the International Criminal Court prosecutor of directing genocide in Darfur, Sudan's troubled region where up to 300 000 people have been killed and more than 2,5 million displaced since 2003.

The prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, requested that an arrest warrant be issued for al-Bashir.

A panel of judges is reviewing evidence submitted by Moreno-Ocampo to decide whether there are reasonable grounds to issue the warrant.

Al-Bashir is coming to Istanbul to attend the three-day Turkey-Africa economic cooperation summit.

Even if an arrest warrant was issued while he was in Turkey, it would be highly unlikely that Turkish authorities would arrest him because the country has not signed the court's treaty and is not bound by its provisions.

New York-based Human Rights Watch, however, has called on Turkey to express support for the court case during the Sudanese delegation's visit.

"We would ask you to use this opportunity to make it clear to the government of Sudan that Turkey does not, nor will ever, support impunity for such crimes," according to a letter read by representatives of the group to Turkish officials.

Al-Bashir has said that Sudan does not recognise the court in The Hague, Netherlands, and will never co-operate with it.

Groups in Darfur rebelled against al-Bashir's government, accusing it of discrimination and unleashing Arab militias known as Janjaweed who are blamed for atrocities against civilians.

Nampa-AP

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