Turkey to make bid for new seat on UN Security Council

Turkey officially announced Wednesday that it would seek a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2015-2016 term, citing its ability to contribute to "global peace and security" in a changing world.

"Turkey is determined to increase its contributions to international peace, security, stability and prosperity, as well as to further its efforts toward strengthening fundamental principles and values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

"Thus, Turkey is announcing its candidacy for nonpermanent membership on the U.N. Security Council for the years 2015-2016," the statement said.

The main reason for announcing Turkey’s candidacy so soon after the country’s 2009-2010 term as a nonpermanent member of the council emanated from "our belief that Turkey will provide significant added value to global peace and security in an era of critical and rapid change in international affairs," the statement said.

Turkey took its seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2009-2010 after collecting 151 votes in the 192-member U.N. General Assembly.

According to the Foreign Ministry statement, the Middle East and the Mediterranean basins are undergoing a political change and transformation process that is likely to mark the upcoming decades. "These developments have further increased Turkey’s responsibilities regarding international peace, stability and security, thereby influencing the preference on the term for its next candidacy for nonpermanent membership," it added.

Turkey will compete against Spain and New Zealand for the seat on the council. "We wish Spain and New Zealand, two friendly countries with which we enjoy immaculate bilateral relations, success. They have also announced their candidacies for Security Council membership during the same term," the statement said.

Ankara launched its lobbying campaign last week at the U.N. Conference on the Least Developed Countries held in Istanbul, where President Abdullah Gül and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu met with representatives of participating states to ask for their support for Turkey’s membership.

Turkey’s foreign policy vision also defines its views on the prospective Security Council membership, according to the statement, which said the country would work to ensure that preventive diplomacy and mediation remain high priorities, and that matching resources are allocated for dispute settlement.

During its tenure on the U.N. Security Council in the 2009-2010 term, Turkey organized crucial summits on "preserving peace" and counterterrorism. As a nonpermanent member, Turkey voted "no" on new sanctions against Iran, although it did agree to abide by sanctions against the Islamic republic once they were passed, as U.N. resolutions are binding on all members.


/Hurriyet Daily News/