OMM Redaksiyası
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, including the removal of the veto power held by its permanent members, according to an article he wrote for Bloomberg.
In the article, titled “The Quest for Global Justice in a Changing World,” Erdogan said recent crises, including pandemics, energy shocks, supply-chain disruptions and regional conflicts, had exposed the limits of leaving global decisions to a small number of capitals.
He said the Security Council still reflected the structure created after World War II and argued that global decision-making mechanisms needed to adapt to current realities.
Erdogan urges abolition of veto privilege
“A more effective, fair and accountable” system of representation was needed, Erdogan said, calling for wider participation in international decision-making.
He said Türkiye’s longstanding message that “the world is bigger than five” was an appeal for a broader distribution of responsibility. The phrase refers to the five permanent, veto-wielding members of the council: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China.
“It is essential to turn the need for reform into a concrete roadmap,” Erdogan said. “At the center of this roadmap should be the abolition of the veto privilege.”
He argued that simply adding new permanent members would not solve the problem of decision-making power being concentrated among a limited number of countries. No country, he said, should have a permanent ability to block the will of most of the international community.
Proposal for elected Security Council members
Erdogan also called for a new balance between the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. He proposed strengthening the assembly’s powers and creating a council without permanent memberships.
Under his proposal, council members would be elected by the General Assembly for fixed terms. Countries seeking another term would have to win the confidence of a majority of assembly members through elections.
“Representation and accountability of the Security Council before the General Assembly should be enhanced,” Erdogan said.
He added that the future international order could not be built by preserving the hierarchies of the past, noting that new centers of power had emerged in the economy, security, technology and diplomacy.
Calls for greater fairness in global economy
Erdogan said wars, the climate crisis, irregular migration and economic vulnerabilities had highlighted the need for strong institutions, resilient economies and effective defense capabilities.
He pointed to the growing importance of secure and sustainable trade, logistics, transport and energy corridors, as well as Asia’s rising economic weight and African countries’ demands for stronger representation.
The Turkish president said developing countries were increasingly asserting their own priorities and argued that regional problems could not always be resolved through externally imposed methods. Solutions based on the wishes of the countries concerned, local conditions and shared interests would produce more lasting results, he said.
Erdogan also criticized global economic inequalities, saying expectations that globalization would distribute prosperity widely had not been fulfilled. He called for fairer sharing of responsibilities and for developing countries to have access to financing needed for their development.
Türkiye, he said, would continue using its diplomatic relationships and experience in multilateral diplomacy to support reform of the international system, including abolishing the veto, giving elected members greater influence and strengthening the General Assembly.
“Permanent peace in today’s world cannot be achieved by multiplying blocs that are disconnected from one another and do not communicate with one another,” Erdogan said.
