President Erdogan reiterates Türkiye’s bid for permanent seat on UN Security Council
President Erdogan answered the questions of press members after leaving the mosque. (Arif Hüdaverdi Yaman - Anadolu Agency)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed Türkiye’s ambitions to secure a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, expressing frustration with the lack of progress in the country’s bid.
Leaving his residence in Uskudar’s Kisikli neighborhood, Erdogan made his way to the mosque, where he was accompanied by key officials, including Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, AK Party Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson Omer Celik, and AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Osman Nuri Kabaktepe.
No progress on permanent UN membership
Following the prayers, President Erdogan answered questions from reporters, discussing Türkiye‘s ongoing bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations.
He stated, “As Türkiye, we are striving for permanent membership, but so far, we’ve seen no results. It’s clear the current permanent members have no intention of including us.”
The U.N. Security Council is composed of 15 members, with five permanent members –China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
‘World is bigger than 5’
Erdogan highlighted the imbalance of power within the Security Council, stating, “First of all, when we say the world is bigger than five, we emphasize that there are five permanent members and 15 temporary members. The fate of these temporary members is at the mercy of the permanent ones, who can easily make every decision.”
He criticized the limited influence of non-permanent members, adding, “These five permanent members are the countries that govern the world. Although members such as Japan, China, and Germany are attempting to become permanent members, they have no influence here because they have not become permanent members so far.”
Contacts with Mitsotakis and Pashinian at UN
Addressing questions about his recent meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in New York, where he attended the 79th U.N. General Assembly, President Erdogan announced that the High-Level Strategic Council Meeting is scheduled for early next year. He added that Ambassador Cagatay Erciyes is currently engaged in discussions with his Greek counterpart.
Erdogan added, “As a result of his discussions with his counterpart, we will likely come together at the beginning of next year. During that meeting, we will address this issue directly.”
He also noted, “The High Level Strategic Council Meeting will primarily focus on addressing the known issues in the Aegean. The prime minister has indicated that he will present these matters for discussion and seek solutions.”
Regarding his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in New York, Erdogan stated, “The main focus of our discussion was the issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and I observed that Pashinian had a positive attitude toward these matters.”
Erdogan concluded, “We hope to resolve these issues through dialogue. I believe Azerbaijan shares this understanding as well. Hopefully, these two countries will come together and find a solution based on this approach.”
