Press Release Regarding the Turkey's Candidacy for the U.N. Security Council, No: 129, 18 May 2011
Wellington Büyükelçiliği
20.05.2011
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
No.129 18 May 2011
Press Release
(Unofficial Translation)
Turkey, a founding member of the United Nations (U.N.), is an ardent defender of the principles
and goals enshrined in the U.N. Charter, supporting resolution of international disputes through
multilateral cooperation.
Within this framework, Turkey plays a constructive role regarding all issues on the U.N. agenda
and, therefore, attaches special importance to undertaking active duties and responsibilities within
the U.N. system and other international organizations.
Turkey is accordingly determined to increase its contributions to international peace, security,
stability and prosperity, as well as to further its efforts towards strengthening of fundamental
principles and values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Thus, Turkey is
announcing its candidacy for non-permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council (UNSC)
for the years 2015 2016.
The main reason for announcing our candidacy once again, not long after our non-permanent
membership in the UNSC for 2009 2010, emanates 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 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 non-permanent
membership.
Throughout the course of history, Turkey has constantly been at the crossroads of international,
political, economic and cultural interactions. This strategic location has endowed Turkey with
outstanding heritage, allowing it to take a wide and unifying view on issues without making East-
West, or, North-South distinctions. At a time when the search for
a new and inclusive world order has gained momentum, Turkey therefore stands out as more
meaningful and significant.
Turkey is located at the center of the Afro-Eurasian geopolitical plane, where perhaps all risks
and opportunities in international affairs are most intense. In addition, by virtue of its dynamic,
visionary and multi-dimensional foreign policy practices, as well as its impressive economic
performance, Turkey plays a pioneering and special role in turning risks into opportunities, and
producing cooperative solutions.
Turkey has made substantial contributions to traditional global security efforts. Moreover, it has
been a catalyst for expansion of good governance based on sustainable economic development,
human rights and the rule of law, which together constitute an inseparable dimension of
contemporary security.
In fact, the active approach Turkey followed in the Security Council during 2009 2010, to which
we were elected after 48 years, was to find comprehensive and lasting solutions to the current
issues through dialogue with all parties. This demonstrated our constructive potential and added
value for accomplishing global peace and security.
Our policy of „zero problems with neighbors“ and our efforts to encourage international
cooperation and dialogue are also among the primary elements of our vision for creating a
harmonious and prosperous climate which will render lasting peace and security.
Turkey does not limit these endeavors to its immediate neighborhood. On the basis of the
principle of indivisibility of peace, security and prosperity, Turkey initiates and implements
mutually beneficial projects across a wide geography from the Caribbean to the Pacific islands.
Our increasing assistance to developing countries is the result of a conscious approach to
strengthen the strategic link between security and development, thereby placing global security
on firm footing.
Turkey is well known for its security-focused approaches to U.N. issues, and subsequent military
and police force contributions to the U.N. operations. Turkey is now taking important steps in
peace building, which requires a multi-dimensional and long-term effort. On this score, the
meetings we convened during our membership to the UNSC took an integrated and determined
posture towards these issues.
Indeed, Turkey organized a session entitled ‘peacekeeping’ in 2009, which was later carried
forward through a Security Council ‘retreat’ in Istanbul. In light of the discussions pursued at
these two meetings, Turkey held the sixth summit meeting of the Security Council during its term
presidency in September 2010. This initiative was crowned by a Presidency Statement, which
encompassed the Council’s entire efforts towards establishing peace and security within a single
framework.
Turkey, during its UNSC membership, was also active in sharing its experiences in combating
terrorism. Turkey took a leading role in the efforts to effectively combat terrorism, addressing its
root causes, as well as building capacity to this end.
Turkey will remain engaged in these efforts in the future. The ‘Mediation for Peace’ initiative we
launched together with Finland in the U.N., refers to a topic occupying an important section in
the Presidency Statement. This stands in testimony to our sustained engagement in this field.
Turkey’s growing economy will constitute a major source of power in our future strides. Thanks
to her sound and resilient economic and financial fundamentals, Turkey is among the least
affected from the global economic downturn, and it currently ranks as the 16th largest global
economy.
By virtue of this fact, Turkey also actively contributes to the work of the G-20, where it is a
member, and constantly strengthens and diversifies its assistance programs towards the
developing countries. In this framework, the technical and humanitarian assistance provided to
all corners of the world primarily through the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency
(TİKA), already an internationally known name, has increased significantly in recent years.
Turkey hosted in Istanbul the 4th U.N. Conference on the Least Developed Countries in May
2011 and assumed an active role in the implementation of the road map, which will provide
guidance over the next decade. The road map adopted during this conference constituted yet
another indication of Turkey’s will to deploy her economic resources in the service of global
security and development.
Simultaneously, Turkey is emerging as a center for international organizations in recent years,
including the U.N. Turkey currently hosts the U.N. Population and Development Fund’s regional
office, Secretariats of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and the Turkish Cooperation
Council.
Hosting important conferences and events, Turkey plays a key role in the conclusion of
fundamental documents and agreements that guide the proceedings of concerned international
organizations. Among such conferences recently held in Turkey are summit meetings of OSCE,
NATO, UN-HABITAT, ECSC, ECO, Alliance of Civilizations and World Water Forum.
In addition, the meeting held in Istanbul in May 2011 of the Council of Europe Ministerial
Committee (CEMC) which Turkey chaired for 6 months focused on steps to reform the CEMC
and to nurture peaceful coexistence of diverse cultures in Europe.
It is worth noting that Turkey harbors a rich and deep-rooted heritage in peace and harmony,
takes a globally leading role in inter-cultural dialogue, and promotes the Alliance of
Civilizations initiative, as one of the two co-sponsors, an endeavor that has become the most
effective and expansive initiative within the U. N. frame.
All of these factors underscore that Turkey, when elected to the UNSC, will significantly
contribute to the UNSC proceedings as a country that holds diverse perspectives towards
contemporary challenges.
Turkey’s overarching foreign policy vision also defines its views on the prospective Security
Council membership. This vision aims to:
act along the lines of a modern approach that upholds respect for human rights with a view to
balance security and freedoms,
enhance respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, rule of law and gender
equality around the world,
achieve peace, security, stability and prosperity in its region and beyond through cooperation
based on political dialogue, economic interdependence and cultural harmony,
take multi-faceted steps to establish a holistic, lasting peace over the long term and engage in
efforts for peaceful resolution of conflicts and protection of peace,
ensure that preventive diplomacy and mediation remain high priorities, and matching resources
are allocated for dispute settlement,
urge expediency in international efforts while combating terrorism and organized crimes,
actively support efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, also bearing in mind the
correlation between development and security,
ensure international technical and humanitarian assistance remain unimpeded,
bolster endeavors in the fields of inter-civilization and inter-cultural dialogue,
advocate reform efforts geared towards furnishing the U.N. with a more effective and democratic
structure.
It is with this vision and desire to serving humanity and contributing to the world peace and
security that we decided to announce Turkey’s candidacy for the U.N. Security Council
membership during the years. 2015-2016.
Taking this opportunity, we wish success to Spain and New Zealand, two friendly countries with
which we enjoy immaculate bilateral relations, which also announced their respective candidacies
for Security Council membership during the same term.
Thus, while announcing her candidacy with a desire for serving in the U.N. Security Council for
a second time over a period of fifty years, Turkey has thoroughly assessed the best term suitable
in offering her contributions to international peace, stability and security, and has taken her
decision in light of this appraisal.
Turkey’s constructive, proactive and reconciliation-oriented posture in the U.N. and other
international fora, as well as the values that it has represented on a wide geography, are
assurances to its future pursuits.
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