NATO-member Turkey has not ratified the treaty forming the ICC but was under pressure to become a member as part of negotiations to join the European Union.

The Turkish-African summit, attended by several heads of state, will be held from August 19-20 in Istanbul.

The state Sudanese Media Centre quoted a high-level government source as saying Bashir would head Sudan's delegation.

One source at the presidential palace told Reuters: "Yes, for sure he is going."

Asked about the possibility of an ICC arrest warrant being issued while Bashir is in Istanbul, the source said it was very unlikely.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, saying his state apparatus had killed 35,000 people and indirectly at least another 100,000.

Rights groups hailed the move as a blow to impunity but many Sudanese and regional players raised concerns it would derail the peace process in Africa's largest country.

ICC judges could take weeks or months to issue a warrant, but they have never failed to issue one after it was requested by the prosecutor. The court is in recess until August 18.

International experts estimate some 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing central government in Khartoum of neglect.

Sudan blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the death toll at 10,000.

Last year the ICC issued two arrest warrants for a junior cabinet minister and an allied militia leader but Sudan refused to hand them over. Khartoum signed the Rome treaty forming the court but never ratified it.