Türkiye pledges support for strengthening UN as global beacon of hope: President Erdogan

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye is ready to support efforts to transform the United Nations into a renewed beacon of hope for humanity, the country’s president said Thursday.

“Türkiye is ready to support all efforts to ensure that the UN, which it considers the cornerstone of multilateralism, once again becomes a beacon of hope for humanity and that the international system is structured effectively based on principles of justice, equality and solidarity, free from double standards,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his celebration message on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the UN.

He expressed Ankara’s determination to continue to make concrete contributions to activities under the UN’s framework aimed at mediation, conflict prevention, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, migration management, sustainability, environmental protection and “initiatives like the Alliance of Civilizations.”

The increasing presence of the UN in the country, especially in Istanbul, is a “concrete manifestation” of Ankara’s strengthened cooperation with the UN, he said.

Reiterating that the UN Security Council failed in its duty to prevent the situation from getting worse in Gaza, President Erdogan said the Council “is emboldening the perpetrators with its stance and undermining faith in the rules-based international system.”

“Sadly, the Security Council, which is endowed with the broadest powers for this purpose, is currently mired in inertia due to its helplessness in the face of developments that trample both international law and human dignity,” he added.

“It is now vital for the Security Council to take and implement the measures required by international law before the current situation in the Middle East escalates into a more destructive and widespread crisis,” he said.

He further said that as the UN marks its anniversary, it does so with a heavy heart due to the record number of personnel lost in Gaza and other conflict zones, ongoing attacks on peacekeeping missions, and the Secretary-General being labeled an "unwanted person."

"However, the destruction caused by conflicts around the world, the increasingly expanding and deepening state of hunger and poverty, and the toxic spread of Islamophobia and racism are raising the duties and responsibilities of the UN more and more each day.

“The proper fulfillment of this responsibility can only be achieved by ensuring the appropriate conditions for all of the UN core organs, including the Security Council, to effectively carry out their functions,” he added.

Erdogan concluded his message celebrating the day and commemorating the UN personnel who lost their lives in doing their job.