Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for sweeping reform of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, saying the world body could no longer fulfil its mission of maintaining international peace and security.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, Erdoğan renewed his longstanding criticism of the Security Council system, which grants permanent membership and veto powers to five countries: Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.
“A system in which the will of more than 190 countries is subject to the whims of five countries is neither fair nor capable of fully establishing trust,” Erdoğan said.
“The United Nations, established 81 years ago to maintain peace and security, has become unable to fulfil this mission - or rather it has been made unable to do so,” he added.
For years, Erdoğan has championed the slogan “The world is bigger than five,” arguing that the Security Council should better represent Africa, Latin America, Asia and the wider Muslim world.
Efforts to reform the council have repeatedly stalled, with major changes requiring the support of its permanent members.
The Turkish leader also spoke at length about the situation in Gaza, saying no one with a sense of humanity, compassion or justice could ignore the ongoing suffering there.
He urged countries that do not recognise the State of Palestine to reconsider their positions.
Calling for greater international pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza, he described the territory as “our time’s most inhumane, most embarrassing concentration camp.”
Türkiye, a longstanding NATO member, has become one of Israel’s most outspoken critics, accusing the country of committing genocide in Gaza and repeatedly calling for international sanctions.
Israel rejects the allegation of genocide and says its military operations in Gaza are directed against Hamas.
In a related development, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan met on the sidelines of the General Assembly to affirm Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself amid escalating Houthi attacks.
In a joint statement, the ministers expressed concern about the widening regional conflict, backed Yemen’s Aden-based government and stressed the importance of safe navigation in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
They also said dialogue and diplomacy were the only path towards a sustainable settlement.
Last month, Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca, committing the three countries to stronger collective security and defence cooperation. Egypt has also been discussed as a potential future participant in the alliance.
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