Turkey, 2010

The mission of the United

Nations is to protect the dignity, security and well-

being of all human beings. Therefor, peace, security,

stability and general welfare constitute the tenets of

Turkey’s work and action in the United Nations. Since

this Assembly gave us an overwhelming mandate for

Turkey’s non–permanent seat on the Security Council,

we have worked hard, sincerely, objectively and

effectively to contribute to peace, security and the

welfare of the international community.

In these two years, we have tried to offer added

value, in a fair and principled manner, in addressing

various global and regional issues. We have sought to

advance the discussions within the Council on an issue

to which we have always accorded high priority:

peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Indeed, this

afternoon, we will be holding a Security Council

summit to exchange views and ideas on this matter at

the highest political level. Furthermore, next Monday,

we will hold a thematic debate of the Security Council

on counter-terrorism.

Terrorism is indeed a leading and most pressing

challenge for the international community on the

global scale. It cannot be countered without sincere,

effective, cohesive and concrete international

cooperation. I would like to recall that our struggle

against terrorism is bound to fail unless we fight all

terrorist organizations, irrespective of their supposed

political, ideological, ethnic or religious aims.

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

is one of the risks of our contemporary world. We

cannot overcome that menace unless all Member

States, including nuclear States, adopt a just and

principled approach to their respective policies.

Establishing a credible global non-proliferation regime

will not be possible if we ignore the de facto existence

of nuclear weapons in certain countries at the heart of

some of the world’s most delicate regions.

In this context, I would like to call on all Member

States to intensify their efforts to create a zone free of

weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, as was

envisaged in Security Council resolution 687 (1991),

and as has been repeatedly called for by the General

Assembly. We also support the calls made in May at

the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on

the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons for

convening a conference on a zone free of weapons of

mass destruction in the Middle East in 2012. I believe

that such an initial step would be a sine qua non for all

non-proliferation initiatives in the rest of the world.

In responding to those security challenges, we

should keep in mind that global problems cannot be

solved unilaterally, bilaterally or within a small circle

of like-minded nations. Therefore, it is more important

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today than ever for us to adopt a multilateral approach

to global problems.

One such problem is the current global economic

crisis. Though we are in a slow recovery, the impact of

the crisis is still being felt today. We must draw the

proper lessons from it in order to avoid a recurrence of

similar shocks in the future. That crisis was caused by

the irresponsible acts of some financial institutions in

the most developed markets. Ordinary people have

paid the highest price for the mistakes of a few in

developed nations. The current economic crisis

revealed once again the weakness and deficiencies of

the existing global and national financial and economic

architectures, which lack effective governance and

regulations to oversee reckless financial institutions.

The Turkish economy, however, has managed to

stay on course in spite of the world economic crisis,

thanks to previously undertaken comprehensive

economic and financial measures. Within the Group of

20 (G-20), we strongly support the efforts of

international forums aimed at restoring global growth

and streamlining financial practices. We believe that

the G-20 should continue to play a central role in

putting together the right policies and measures to

those ends.

The situation of the least developed countries has

worsened in the aftermath of the global crisis. Every

effort should therefore be made to integrate those

countries into the global economy. In that endeavour,

we should act according to the principles of free and

fair trade and avoid protectionist tendencies. It is with

these thoughts that we look forward to the Fourth

United Nations Conference on the Least Developed

Countries, to be organized next year in Istanbul.

During the past decade, Turkey’s economic

indicators improved, as did its development assistance.

Our relatively greater means have enabled us to

contribute more to the development of others. Turkey

has now evolved into an emerging donor. With the

contribution of Turkish-based non-governmental

organizations, our overall development assistance

exceeds $1.5 billion annually. Through the Turkish

International Cooperation and Development Agency,

we allocate that amount to diverse capacity-building

projects, in fields such as health, education, agriculture

and infrastructure.

Developing nations are also more exposed than

others to the gravest threats of four interconnected

problems: global warming, climate change, epidemics

and food security. In recent years, tragedy has struck

many nations because of the adverse impact of climate

change around the world. Some parts of our planet are

experiencing severe drought, while others have been

hit by devastating floods. The current plight of

Pakistan is a reminder that this has become a pressing

issue that calls for urgent remedial action. We must

acknowledge that a sustainable environment is an

indivisible global public good for humankind. We must

therefore assume collective responsibility for

preserving it. Billions of lives, not just today but also

of future generations, will depend on the actions we

take now.

The global food crisis is another urgent concern.

It poses a worrying challenge to coming generations.

These compelling economic, demographic, ecological

and biological challenges oblige us to redefine the

notion of security. Such issues no longer fall into the

category of soft risks, but rather pose a clear and

present threat to humankind.

In the face of such overwhelming threats, it is

time to take global action within the United Nations

framework. To that end, I call on Member States to

explore the possibility of establishing a global rapid-

reaction capability to effectively tackle natural and

ecological disasters, food shortages and epidemics.

This would also help to maintain international peace

and security by mitigating threats that arise from weak

governance, the collapse of public order and domestic

or inter-State conflict over diminishing natural

resources.

If we allocate a small fraction of our defence

expenditures to financing and establishing a

peacekeeping capability, we will have more cost-

efficient results in maintaining peace and stability in

the world. Moreover, if we could pool some of our

defence equipment — equipment that has lost its

effective utility in military terms but is still relevant for

disaster-relief operations — we could swiftly improve

such rapid-reaction capability. Of course, existing

regional capacities could be instrumental in this global

endeavour. All such resources should be channeled

directly to those in need, and not eroded by excessive

administrative costs.

On the political side of our agenda, there is no

shortage of enduring regional issues. Because of time

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constraints, I will touch only briefly on some of them

here.

Permanent peace in the Middle East is the key to

a peaceful and stable future for the world.

Unfortunately, the absence of peace there has had

serious and adverse strategic consequences for the rest

of the world. Turkey has therefore always supported

every effort aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace

in the Middle East. In this understanding, we

appreciate President Obama’s efforts and welcome the

direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

We hope that this new engagement can take us closer

to a viable and fair settlement.

On the other hand, it will be very difficult to

make progress towards permanent peace unless we put

an end to the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. In this

context, the attack in May of the Israeli armed forces

on the international humanitarian aid convoy on the

high seas resulted in grave civilian casualties and was

an unacceptable act, in clear violation of international

law. In the light of international law, Turkey expects a

formal apology and compensation for the aggrieved

families of the victims and the injured people.

Therefore, we attach particular importance to the

work of the panel of inquiry and the fact-finding

mission. We are pleased to have received the report

(A/HRC/15/21) of the fact-finding mission established

by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The

report offers a solid legal framework for establishing

the facts of the incident. We also look forward to the

successful completion of the work of the panel.

As for Iraq, the elections of 7 March marked a

new period for the people of that country.

Nevertheless, the post-election political stalemate is

aggravating the security situation and hindering the

launch of a comprehensive reconstruction programme.

We sincerely hope that the new Government in Iraq

will reflect the balance that emerged at the elections.

The new Government must be inclusive, effective and

democratic. In the aftermath of the withdrawal of

foreign combat troops, we also urge all neighbours of

Iraq to act responsibly and support the territorial

integrity, political unity and sovereignty of Iraq. We

must all help the Iraqi people in their quest for a better

future.

Our contributions to international efforts in the

search for an urgent and peaceful settlement of the

Iranian nuclear issue will also continue. This

controversy can be resolved only in conformity with

International Atomic Energy Agency norms and

obligation under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons, and in respect for the right to the

peaceful use of nuclear energy. In this vein, the Tehran

Declaration and the July gathering in Istanbul provide

a window of opportunity to be seized. We believe that

there is no alternative to diplomacy.

As a Balkan country, Turkey attaches cardinal

priority to the peace, stability and economic

development of the Balkans. In recent years, we have

actively engaged in result-oriented initiatives in the

Balkans by intensifying our high-level bilateral visits

to Belgrade and Sarajevo. Moreover, the launching of

trilateral cooperation mechanisms with Bosnia and

Herzegovina and Serbia, on the one hand, and with

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, on the other, was

of historic significance. Through these mechanisms, we

are trying to create a new atmosphere of mutual

understanding and cooperation among those nations. I

believe that the integration of the western Balkan

countries into the European and Euro-Atlantic

structures would be a decisive final step for the

resolution of conflicts in the region.

As for the Caucasus, we remain committed to

pursuing our efforts in search of a comprehensive and

sustainable peace in the region, while respecting the

principle of territorial integrity. In recent years, we

have all seen how frozen conflict can easily turn into

active clashes in the region. Given this context, we

attach particular importance to the peaceful resolution

to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Any failure in Afghanistan will certainly have

unpredictable consequences for the international

community. Therefore, Afghanistan deserves our close

attention and sincere commitment. Afghanistan is

going through a historic process of transformation. As

military operations continue, there must be a

simultaneous and growing emphasis on civilian efforts

to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people.

Turkey’s commitment to Afghanistan is open-ended.

We will continue our assistance as long as the Afghans

require it.

Supporting Pakistan’s democracy is also of

singular importance, not only in and of itself, but also

to the stability of the region as a whole. In the wake of

the terrible disaster caused by the floods, it is critically

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important to support the people and the democratic

Government of Pakistan in healing their wounds.

Africa is another region that requires the

international community’s collective responsibility and

action. The burden of resolving the overwhelming

problems of that continent cannot be placed on the

shoulders of Africans alone. It is in this understanding

that Turkey has devised a comprehensive policy that

includes effective political, social and economic

measures to help address the challenges that Africa

faces.

On the Cyprus issue, our long-standing

commitment and full support of a just and lasting

settlement remains unchanged. We share the vision of

the Secretary-General that a settlement will be within

reach before the end of this year, but this process

should not be open-ended. A positive outcome

emerging from these negotiations would rapidly

transform the eastern Mediterranean into a pillar of

peace, stability, cooperation and welfare in the

European Union.

The Turkish Cypriots have shown that they are in

favour of a settlement, as clearly manifested in the

2004 referendum, but they continue to suffer unjustly

from the absence of a settlement. I would like to repeat

the call made by the Secretary-General to the

international community to take the necessary steps to

eliminate the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and

enable their integration into the greater world.

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate our view that the

United Nations can and should play an even larger role

in chartering a better future for humankind. It is up to

us, the Member States, to provide the United Nations

with the necessary political support and concrete tools

so that it can fulfil that role. I assure the Assembly that

Turkey, for its part, will continue to lend its full

support and cooperation to the United Nations in our

quest to leave a much safer, more prosperous, cleaner

and healthier world to our children.