Turkey continues to discuss the prospects of UN reform with Russia and does not anticipate difficulties in this dialogue, stated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during discussions with reporters upon his return from Qatar.
"We have ongoing talks with Russia and so far [in this dialog] there have been no problems. And we do not foresee them. The UN as an institution has proven unable to manage its own system and is watching the unfolding events with its hands tied. Unfortunately, we are once again feeling the severe consequences of this crisis [at the UN]. The UN's primary responsibility is to protect world peace. But due to the distorted structure of the Security Council, it is unable to fulfill this task," Anadolu Agency quoted him as saying.
In response to the distribution of votes at the UN General Assembly (GA) during the ceasefire vote in the Gaza Strip, he remarked that "at the GA, 121 countries opposed the oppression" of the Palestinians, while 40 countries abstained, and "the number of countries siding with the West and America was only 14." The Turkish leader expressed his intention to continue diplomatic efforts with the abstaining countries to garner their support for Palestine.
Erdogan also expressed his optimism about the effectiveness of the UNGA compared to the organization's Security Council. He pointed out that the current state of affairs in the UNSC has long been a subject of criticism from Ankara. The Turkish president has consistently advocated for a more inclusive approach, often stating that "the world is bigger than five," indicating that decisive voting and veto rights should not be solely held by five countries in the UNSC. Erdogan emphasized the need to reassess the UN system, stating, "We must engage in revising the UN system, and we must do it before it is too late. Otherwise, the UN system will not be able to contain significant crises, and the world will suffer losses once again."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Moscow-Live/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS