Türkiye says Feridun Sinirlioglu's UN chief bid aims to 'overcome impasse' in selection process
- 'Our goal is to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming impasse,' says Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
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- 'Our goal is to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming impasse,' says Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
By Diyar Guldogan
ATLANTA, US (AA) - Türkiye's nomination of Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu for the position of the UN’s new secretary-general is intended to help overcome a deadlock in the selection process, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday.
"Our goal is to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming the impasse," Fidan told Anadolu and Turkish public broadcaster TRT on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in the US city of Atlanta.
His remarks came after Türkiye on Friday formally nominated Sinirlioglu, secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as a candidate for UN secretary-general.
In a letter dated Friday to the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, Türkiye's UN Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz transmitted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's nomination letter, in line with the UN Charter and a General Assembly resolution.
Fidan said Ankara had been "closely monitoring" the selection process and anticipated that difficulties could emerge among the candidates, prompting Türkiye to consider putting forward its own nominee.
He said the process had been underway for about a year, with several candidates from Latin America competing in line with the informal geographical rotation traditionally considered in selecting the UN chief.
Türkiye respects the expectation that Latin America should have the opportunity to produce the next secretary-general, Fidan said, but added that the process had reached a stalemate.
He explained that the nomination of candidates from other regions when the selection process becomes deadlocked is not unprecedented in UN history.
- Türkiye's bid as a diplomatic contribution
Fidan said Türkiye decided to formally nominate Sinirlioglu after the latest developments in the selection process, including voting involving the United Arab Emirates' candidate Lana Nusseibeh.
He added that Türkiye had already agreed to put forward its candidate if certain conditions emerged during the selection process.
"Once the deadlock became clear, we officially submitted our own candidate to the UN with a letter signed by our president," he said.
He stressed that Ankara's decision was not simply an attempt to enter the competition but rather an effort to contribute to resolving the impasse.
Fidan said Sinirlioglu is an experienced career diplomat with extensive international experience, including his previous service as Türkiye's UN ambassador.
He also cited Sinirlioglu's election as OSCE secretary-general in December 2024.
Fidan stressed that Türkiye attaches great importance to multilateralism and the effective functioning of international organizations, particularly the UN.
He said Erdogan strongly supports a UN system that operates "genuinely and fairly," adding that Türkiye will continue contributing to efforts to strengthen the organization.
"Türkiye will continue to do everything it can to contribute to this," Fidan said, describing Sinirlioglu's nomination as one part of Ankara's broader diplomatic efforts.
A candidate needs at least nine votes in the Security Council to secure the required support, while any of the five permanent members – the US, China, France, Russia, and the UK – can block a candidate with a veto.
The eventual nominee must be appointed by the General Assembly, with that step generally considered a formality once the Security Council has reached an agreement.
The term of Antonio Guterres, the current secretary-general, ends on Dec. 31.
Diyar Güldoğan