Erdogan: Fate of 194 Countries Cannot be Left in Hands of 5 Permanent UNSC Members

"Events are taking place that will affect not only the next 5-10 years but also the future of our grandchildren," Erdogan stated.

Photo: Anadolu Agency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged a major overhaul of the United Nations, stressing that the fate of nearly 200 countries worldwide cannot be left up to the five permanent members of the Security Council.

“The UN needs to be completely reformed. The world cannot be left to the mercy of the five permanent (Security Council member) countries. The fate of 194 countries cannot be left in the hands or the lips of one of these five permanent members,” Erdogan said in an address to the TRT World Forum in Istanbul, The Caspian Post reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Erdogan has long denounced the five permanent Security Council member system – under which those countries can single-handedly veto important decisions – saying: “The world is bigger than five.”

Underlining the need for an overhaul of the UN, Erdogan also noted a list of changes that have already been brought to the current system, including the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Alliance of Civilizations initiative by Türkiye and Spain, which aimed to foster cooperation in the wake the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.

Stating that from trade to diplomacy, the competition between states is growing more destructive and aggressive every day, he said humanity is at a "turning point."
 

"Events are taking place that will affect not only the next 5-10 years but also the future of our grandchildren," Erdogan added.

The ongoing humanitarian crises in many regions sharply lay bare the fragility of the current world order, he stressed, adding that every crisis is also a "window of opportunity" for justice, peace, tranquility, security, and stability.

“The Russia-Ukraine war, set soon to start its fourth year, has shown us the weakness of the rules-based international system,” he added.