UN Security Council requires serious reform, says Turkish foreign minister

By Hatice Ozdemir Tosun

ANTALYA, Turkiye (AA) – The UN Security Council needs to undergo a serious reform, the Turkish foreign minister said on Saturday.

“Both the Russia-Ukraine war and latest developments in the region once again show that the international system, especially the UN Security Council, needs to be subjected to serious reform. We agreed to act together with Japan on these issues,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi in Turkiye’s Mediterranean Antalya province.

Turkish officials have called for a new approach to deal with global crisis.

In his book, A Fairer World is Possible, Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued how global peace can be attained by reforming the UN and other international organizations.

Erdogan has been long known for his emphasis on global justice with his famous connotation: “The World is bigger than five.”

The ministers also exchanged views on developments in the Asia-Pacific region, and Cavusoglu briefed Hayashi on Turkiye's efforts for a cease-fire in Russia-Ukraine war, which began on Feb. 24.

Cavusoglu said Turkiye wants to improve bilateral cooperation on multilateral platforms, and reiterated support for Japan's candidacy for the 2023-2024 UN Security Council.

Reminding that Turkiye introduced the "Asia Anew" initiative in 2019, he said they consider Japan a “very important partner.”

Recalling that Hayashi's visit is the second foreign minister-level visit from Japan to Turkiye in the last year, Cavusoglu said a strategic partnership was established between the two countries in 2013.

“Our strategic partnership gets its strength from history and is based on our special, friendly ties. We will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our diplomatic relations in 2024 and have decided to start planning joint activities in this regard," he said.

Cavusoglu said they also discussed trade, and that an economic partnership agreement can greatly contribute to increase in trade volume.

Expressing that they want to focus on areas such as agriculture and energy, he said: "It is important to encourage investments.”

-'Japan appreciates Turkiye’s efforts'

Hayashi acknowledged that "as a strategic partner of Japan and a regional power, Turkiye plays an active mediation role in the current situation in Ukraine."

He said Cavusoglu shared detailed information on Turkiye’s diplomatic efforts based on close relations with both Ukraine and Russia. "In this regard, Japan appreciates Turkiye’s efforts and pays its respects," Hayashi added.

Ankara, which has good ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, continues its efforts without interruption for peace in Ukraine.

Last week, the Turkish resort city of Antalya hosted the first talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba since the start of the war.

Cavusoglu also visited the Russian and Ukrainian capitals Moscow and Kyiv this week as part of Turkiye's mediation efforts for a truce.

The Japanese diplomat said they agreed that Ankara and Tokyo will continue their close cooperation on international platforms to protect international order, and work closely on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Hayashi said Japan will deepen the cooperation with Turkiye in various fields to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

He added that they also exchanged views on Turkiye’s Asia Anew initiative, and agreed on holding a consultancy meeting on naval issues in the first half of this year.

Hayashi said they resolved to accelerate negotiations for the early conclusion of Japan-Turkey Economic Partnership Agreement, and Agreement on Social Security to further strengthen the bilateral economic relations.

The Japanese minister also welcomed the appointment of the rector of the Turkish Japanese Science and Technology University, adding that efforts are continuing efforts to open the university next year.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar and Burak Dag