Türkiye's Communications Directorate holds panel in Moscow on UN Security Council reform

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye's Communications Directorate organized a panel discussion in the Russian capital Moscow to highlight the need for reform at the UN Security Council.

The event, held on Wednesday, was moderated by Orhan Gazigil, an adviser at the directorate, and attended by panelists – Andrey Bystritskiy, chairman of the board of the Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, Andrey Baklanov, vice chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats, Russian journalist and military expert Igor Korotchenko, and Amur Gadjiev. director of the Centre for Contemporary Türkiye Studies in Russia.

Mehmet Samsar, the Türkiye's ambassador to Moscow, was also among the distinguished audience.

Baklanov said he agreed with Türkiye's argument that the UN Security Council is unable to perform its current functions, which is ensuring international peace and security.

"Although we do not agree that the veto rights of the five members of the UNSC (the US, UK, France, Russia and China) should be abolished, we believe that vital and powerful countries such as Türkiye should be part of this structure," he said.

Korotchenko, for his part, argued that the world is moving towards an order of chaos that international institutions could not manage.

Emphasizing the significance of the demand by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for reform at the UN, who argues that the "world is bigger than five" Korotchenko said: "When we look to the West, we see them arguing among themselves and attempting to disrupt the world order. Erdogan, on the other hand, is one of the few leaders in the modern world who can envision global goals for the future. He is taking on very important initiatives by analyzing the future and recognizing the past."

Against this backdrop, he added: “I think, and this is the opinion of many Russian experts, President Erdogan deserves to receive the Nobel Prize. Such statesmanship is certainly worthy of the Nobel Prize."

Gadjiev, who drew attention to Ankara’s pragmatic and swift actions in various regions, said: "Türkiye demonstrates to its neighbors that it is a key player in the global order."

Bystritskiy said he was pessimistic about the current state of the international institutions and organizations including the UN. “In the past, there used to be a wish that communist or capitalist nations could coexist, take a step towards the future, and advance humanity. Such a wish no longer exists,” he argued.