UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, MORE REMARKS FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN
By Esra Tekin and Serdar Dincel
ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged a major overhaul of the United Nations, stressing that the fate of nearly 200 countries worldwide cannot be left up to the five permanent members of the Security Council.
“The UN needs to be completely reformed. The world cannot be left to the mercy of the five permanent (Security Council member) countries. The fate of 194 countries cannot be left in the hands or the lips of one of these five permanent members,” Erdogan said in an address to the TRT World Forum in Istanbul.
Erdogan has long denounced the five permanent Security Council member system – under which those countries can single-handedly veto important decisions – saying: “The world is bigger than five.”
Underlining the need for an overhaul of the UN, Erdogan also noted a list of changes that have already been brought to the current system, including the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Alliance of Civilizations initiative by Türkiye and Spain, which aimed to foster cooperation in the wake the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.
Stating that from trade to diplomacy, the competition between states is growing more destructive and aggressive every day, he said humanity is at a "turning point."
"Events are taking place that will affect not only the next 5-10 years but also the future of our grandchildren," Erdogan added.
The ongoing humanitarian crises in many regions sharply lay bare the fragility of the current world order, he stressed, adding that every crisis is also a "window of opportunity" for justice, peace, tranquility, security, and stability.
“The Russia-Ukraine war, set soon to start its fourth year, has shown us the weakness of the rules-based international system,” he added.
-Global system failed test over Gaza
In Gaza, not only humanitarian values but also the reliability of the global system, the UN, have been tested, Erdogan said, adding that neither passed.
“Humanitarian catastrophe was allowed due to the shame of the Holocaust, but this is a dead-end street, disaster,” Erdogan said, referring to how Western countries’ Holocaust guilt made them shrink from criticizing Israel, which has been committing genocide in Gaza for over a year now.
“Can we say, 'It's none of our business' in the face of Israeli aggression endangering not only its own citizens but everyone living in the region?" he asked.
“When there is peace, when we can live together in peace, why this blood, conflict, war? If we don't act today, when will we act?” he implored.
The pain of those oppressed in Gaza, Palestine, and Lebanon is ours, said the Turkish leader, adding that “consent to oppression is oppression,” referring to backers of Israel’s genocide and oppressive policies.
Again calling for a sustainable cease-fire in Gaza, Erdogan said that this is what Türkiye has been advocating since day one of Israel’s offensive on the enclave, which began over 13 months ago.
He also expressed readiness to take the initiative to stop the war in Gaza and open the way to a lasting peace.
Ankara is doing what it does for the sake of peace, justice, and safety in the entire region, he added.
-ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former defense minister ‘very important’
Throughout history, the Turkish nation has always opened “its doors wide” to anyone who has faced oppression, whether Jewish or Christian, Erdogan added.
He underscored that Türkiye finds the International Criminal Court arrest warrants for top Israeli officials who have spearheaded the ongoing Gaza war “very important.”
On Nov. 21, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023, to date killing over 44,300 people, most of them women and children, and injuring nearly 105,000.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
Erdogan also expressed hope that the cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon, which came into force on Wednesday, will be permanent.
The cease-fire deal halted over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah group.
Over 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.
The TRT World Forum, organized by Turkish national broadcaster TRT, is set to conclude on Saturday.