UN Secretary-General António Guterres has accepted a peace prize awarded to him in Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented the Atatürk International Peace Prize to the UN chief in the country’s capital.
Guterres has had a long and distinguished career, most recently becoming Secretary-General of the United Nations in January 2017. In the role, he has led global action in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, gender equality and a number of international conflicts. Before becoming Secretary-General, Guterres spent ten years as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Erdoğan said Türkiye is working intensively to help bring peace to the Middle East and has offered to mediate between the U.S., Israel and Iran in an effort to halt the latest conflict.
"As Türkiye, we are conducting intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent the Iran-centered spiral of violence, which risks dragging our region into total disaster, from expanding. Despite those seeking to crush hopes and make us abandon our struggle, we will continue to work with patience and determination."
He continued: "As a leader who believes that development, peace, and stability are impossible without justice, we will continue to support initiatives to make the UN a more inclusive institution."
At the ceremony, Erdoğan highlighted his country’s role in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which helped prevent a global food crisis. He also pledged to implement the UN House Project in Istanbul, bringing together several UN offices, and referred to Türkiye’s contribution to the UN80 initiative.
He thanked Guterres and the United Nations for their support following the earthquakes in Türkiye, assistance in Gaza, and cooperation on climate projects such as the Zero Waste Project and COP climate initiatives.
After receiving the award, Guterres said: "I have seen Türkiye's global leadership in championing zero-waste initatives and I commend the First Lady's efforts along with preperations towards the COP31 climate conference later this year."
World leaders and other key figures are expected to meet in Antalya, southern Türkiye, in November.
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Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
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Super typhoon Champi is set to batter Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture from Friday (23 October), bringing violent winds, torrential rain and waves up to 11 metres high, as airlines cancel flights and organisers scrap a major festival.
Israeli military bulldozers have begun demolishing buildings in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday, 23 October, following armed clashes with Palestinians that left two Israeli soldiers dead, according to the Israeli military.
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
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