Bashir, against whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity in Sudan’s Darfur region, had announced plans to attend a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Monday.

“We have learned that he is not coming,” a Turkish government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, without elaborating. Other Turkish officials, visibly relieved at the news, also confirmed that Bashir was not attending.

Predominantly Muslim Turkey, which is seeking EU membership, had come under pressure from Brussels and international human rights groups to drop Bashir from the guest list.

Turkey, which has deepened economic ties with Sudan, has not ratified the statute that established the ICC and had said it had no plans to arrest Bashir.

Campaigning group Human Rights Watch had said that NATO member Turkey’s international image would “plummet” if Ankara did not bar Bashir’s entry.

Bashir has travelled to African countries since his arrest warrant was issued by the ICC in March.

Iran’s anti-American President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose country is engaged in a standoff with the West over Tehran’s nuclear programme, arrived in Istanbul on Sunday to attend the one-day OIC meeting.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in his first trip abroad since his re-election was announced this week following a fraud-marred ballot, also arrived earlier on Sunday and held bilateral talks with Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul.

Western powers are seeking to exert pressure on Tehran for concessions on its nuclear programme, and Ahmadinejad could use the summit to undermine efforts to isolate the Islamic republic.