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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One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow also halts strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement for political purposes after authorities searched her Washington-area home as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
French authorities have opened a major investigation after a cyberattack disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets, causing widespread food spoilage, forcing stores to discard stock and, in some cases, triggering fires.
Saudi authorities issued emergency warnings to residents on Monday, urging people to remain indoors and follow civil defence instructions amid concerns over a hostile aerial threat linked to the escalating conflict with Yemen's Houthi movement.
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