UPDATE - Inclusive reform to UNSC is urgent need, says Turkish president

UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES BY TURKISH PRESIDENT; CHANGES SPOT

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - The order that confines the fate of humanity to the say of five countries "is not sustainable, said the Turkish president on Tuesday, urging for an "inclusive and encompassing" reform to the UN Security Council.

"The current order, which traps the fate of humanity between the lips of 5 countries, is not sustainable. There is an urgent need for the UNSC to be reformed with an inclusive and encompassing understanding," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan at an iftar dinner held with foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Türkiye.

He said Türkiye is now "harvesting the gains" of its humanitarian foreign policy with several countries rushing to extend help to Türkiye after the Feb. 6 earthquakes in the country's south.

Erdogan thanked all friendly countries for their support and solidarity following the quakes.

Magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 Turkish provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa. Around 14 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the quakes, as well as many others in northern Syria.

About Russia's war on Ukraine, Erdogan voiced belief in the possibility "to maintain a fair peace that will allow both sides to get an honorable exit, and that will take our region out of the maelstrom it has been dragged into."

Türkiye rushes everywhere to stop an existing humanitarian crisis, Erdogan noted, saying his country also seeks solutions to crises across the world.

"Our attitude and role in the war in Ukraine, as facilitator and mediator, is the latest example of this. From the very first day, Türkiye has been concerned about finding a solution to the crisis between its two neighbors, not fueling the fire," he stressed.

Emphasizing that fight against terrorism is another area that needs global solidarity, Erdogan stressed that terrorism must be eliminated from the agenda of humanity as a primary duty.

"With this motto, we continue our fight, without discrimination, against all forms of terrorism, especially PKK, PYD, YPG, FETO, and Daesh/ISIS," Erdogan said.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.

Türkiye is aware of the "word games, diplomatic, and military cunnings" of terror groups, Erdogan said, and affirmed that his country is closely following them.

"Just as we do not consent to our country being surrounded by a terror corridor, we will certainly not allow further attempts," he added.

Türkiye's president also commented on the relations with Greece and expressed hopes for the recent positive atmosphere with Athens to be evaluated as an opportunity to solve existing problems in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean seas.

Noting that Türkiye always supports the steps that contribute to the stability and peace of the Balkan region, Erdogan said the EU membership continues to be Türkiye's strategic goal despite all the injustice the country is subjected to.

On the recent attacks on Muslims' holy book Quran in European countries, Erdogan said it is unacceptable, and said: "This is an obvious hate crime."

“(Provocation by burning the Qur'an) These atrocities that not only offend nearly 2 billion people but also lead them to anger must be immediately terminated," he said.

Recent months have seen several acts of Quran burning, or attempts to do so, by Islamophobic figures or groups in northern Europe and Nordic countries.