President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We have reached the end of the vexing notion that the West is superior. Everybody is questioning and acknowledging this now. Even the West itself is now beginning to admit this. The centuries-long Western hegemony is over now. A new international system is emerging."
President Erdoğan gave an interview to a journal, Kriter Dergi, covering such topics as his book "A Fairer World Is Possible", critiques and solution proposals for the United Nations Security Council, as well as the Paris Agreement, and Syria.
When asked why he felt the need to write such a book, President Erdoğan responded that the global system was facing a comprehensive challenge.
Noting that Türkiye had not only been trying to lead this transformation from the beginning but had also been drawing attention to the existing problems, President Erdoğan reminded that they were vocal about their solution proposals on every international platform.
Pointing out that a realistic perspective needed to be adopted and the first thing to do was to clearly outline the existing problems, President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows:
"The world is going through a crisis period. The pandemic has deepened this crisis. The pandemic has also made it very clear that we need to immediately solve the problems of our day. Otherwise, the crisis will get deeper, and we will be facing problems that are impossible to solve. In that case, no mechanism will be able to function. The global system is facing a deep crisis. The global governance mechanisms are dysfunctional and inoperative. A governance problem has emerged. Justice, on the other hand, is being trodden upon. The United Nations, in its current form, has become dysfunctional and ineffective in producing solutions to this crisis as well. We, as Türkiye, must produce a solution to this deep global crisis. For the past 20 years, we as a country have been the voice and conscience of humanity. We have amplified the voice of the silent majority in all international platforms."
"We wanted to offer a solution as well"
Emphasising that Türkiye drew attention to all injustices without regard to religion, language, and ethnicity of those suffering from them, President Erdoğan noted that they viewed all issues from a humanitarian perspective, from Syrian asylum-seekers to inhuman treatments in Myanmar, the tragedy and persecution suffered by Palestinian Muslims to the incidents in New Zealand, the emerging anti-Islamism, extremism and anti-immigrant sentiments in the West to the incidents in Africa.
Stating that they acted as the conscience of the global system by striving to be just and act justly always and raise the issue of inequalities, President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows:
"To record history, we decided to compile in a book all of the issues about which we have been vocal so far. We did not want to merely criticise by discussing and pointing out the problems, but we also wanted to offer a solution. That is how the idea for this book came about. Now, we can both point out the root cause of the crisis and clearly identify the repercussions of the crisis. We are not settling for this, either. We say that the UN, which is at the heart of the global governance crisis, remains the most significant chance we have. But not in its current status quo. We propose that the UN be restructured through a new reform initiative. Our suggestion, without a doubt, is a reform proposal. We believe that a fairer world will be possible through this proposal. We want the real problems of the world to be discussed. We stand before the international community with a new proposal, stating that it is impossible to establish a solution by dismissing the existing problems."
"North-south divide has deepened even more"
In response to the question, "You mention in your book that the world system is collapsing. What type of collapse do we have on our hands?" President Erdoğan noted that the existing world system was confronted with a number of challenges.
Expressing that it was not a challenge that could be tackled by a single country alone, President Erdoğan stated the following:
"It is multidimensional before anything else. We are dealing with not only an economic crisis but also a political and security crisis. The coronavirus pandemic pushed these crises to the surface at multiple levels. We were able to see how vital global public health is. The pandemic stifled cross-border mobility, which is the lifeblood of globalisation, and threw supply chains into disarray in a short space of time. We have seen the last of an economic mindset that solely prioritises rationality and maximal profit. The free movement of people around the world has come to a standstill. Instead, there is now a restricted movement in tough circumstances. However, the crisis does not stop there. Climate change, for example, must become a top agenda item for the international community.
The world's north-south divide has deepened even more. The current political-economic system has failed to guarantee global prosperity and has exacerbated inequality. The system is not narrowing the gap between developed and less developed countries but rather widening it with each passing day. We can address these problems here one by one. We must, however, create a list of priorities. We must identify the most pressing global issues and establish a global and multilateral approach to solve them. We emphasise in this book that a global society with multilateralism at its core is needed."
"The notion of Western superiority is over now"
President Erdoğan said that when we looked at world politics, a different outlook emerged and added, "We have reached the end of the vexing notion that the West is superior. Everybody is questioning and acknowledging this now. Even the West itself is now beginning to admit this. The centuries-long Western hegemony is over now. A new international system is emerging."
Underlining that the bipolarity of the Cold War period ended with the victory of the United States, and then a US-centred world politics was witnessed, President Erdoğan added, "However, it has been recognised that no single country can govern the entire international system. The US attempted but failed. It had to pull out from Afghanistan after withdrawing from Iraq, and it could establish neither democracy nor the state in both countries."
Noting that the assertions made after the Cold War did not come true, President Erdoğan said, "The policy of promoting democracy brought greater destruction in the name of democracy. At all critical stages, the West has been hypocritical. What is even worse is that Western democracies have given in to extremists and populist politics. They have now succumbed to the policies they created, and they have depleted democracy."
Explaining that it was claimed that the liberal global economy would expand all the time and economically dissolve alternative countries; however, that was not the case at all, President Erdoğan said that the weight of the emerging powers in the global economy was progressively increasing, and they were currently taking a larger share of the world economy.
Emphasising that those who established the liberal economic order are now adopting a policy to prevent free trade through trade walls and severe customs policies, President Erdoğan noted the following:
"They began to violate the rules of the system they had created and put emerging economies on the target board.
After the Cold War, they declared that the era of great power conflict was over. They now say that a new era of great power conflict has begun. Because they had a vision of a global system in which they were the only ones who had the upper hand. However, this did not occur. Emerging powers, such as Türkiye, have now established themselves as major players in global politics. Not only Türkiye, but many other medium-size powers have demonstrated signs of progress. We no longer live in a world where all that matters are what the great powers say.
Take a look at Türkiye and see how far we have come. We've turned into a power capable of conducting its own military operations through its own means and constructing its own defence industry infrastructure. Inshallah, our progress will continue to climb, reinforce the position at which it has arrived, and take another leap forward."
Sharing their approach, President Erdoğan said: "Our approach is that if you try to keep such a world policy in its existing shape without reforming it, we will face grave challenges. Let us discuss the failing components of the system while we still have time. Let others come up with new suggestions, just as we did, and let us clear this blockage."
"Those who made the rules are no longer the ones who follow them"
Upon the question, "You underline all through the book that we are in the midst of a global governance crisis as well as a crisis in world politics. Why is global governance in such a state of crisis, and what is the nature of the crisis?" President Erdoğan stated that global governance was above all one of the essential elements of the international order.
Expressing that this meant a world with rules, President Erdoğan said that the rules are created by states and international organizations, and then they are implemented by international organizations.
Emphasising that a world with rules was built after the Second World War, President Erdoğan said the following:
"Of course, we should not be too naive to be idealistic at this point. I mean, we should not consider it as the 'constitution of the world.' There is, however, a problem. Those who made the rules are no longer the ones who follow them. The worse part is that they only exempt themselves from these rules. The UN Security Council, for example, has passed dozens of resolutions on Palestine. There are the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly. Why aren't these resolutions implemented? Is Israel exempt from these resolutions? Is the United States exempt from these rules? When it comes to others, however, these rules are used as a hammer against them. Türkiye has spoken out against international terrorism for years and has been a victim of it. 'Don't distinguish between terrorist organisations,' Türkiye said. Well then, did they pay attention to us? Regrettably, no. Take a look at what is going on in Syria right now. Those who preach democracy and aim to instil human rights in the world are working with terrorists and providing them with truckloads of weaponry. They collaborate with and support terrorist organisations. Then, when we take the necessary measures, use military force to preserve our country's national interests and maintain our security in accordance with UN principles, they urge us, "don't do that." What kind of logic is that?"
"We must take this bold step"
Pointing out that his criticisms and calls gained importance precisely at this point, President Erdoğan expressed the following remarks:
"We believe that if there are rules, everyone should follow them; however, if the rules are outdated and ineffective, we should alter them and discuss the rules and international norms again. As a result, we can improve the effectiveness of global governance. What is at the heart of global governance? The United Nations, of course. But does the UN promise good global governance? Yes, perhaps. Does it put it into practice? No. So let's think it over considering the UN and discuss and resolve global governance problems progressively. We must take this bold step."
Reminding that there was a crisis when it came to global governance mechanisms, President Erdoğan drew attention to the fact that this was seen more prominently during the pandemic.
Stating that the World Health Organisation was criticised for failing to respond quickly to the crisis, President Erdoğan expressed that the UN Security Council, which is a platform established to resolve crises as they occur, did not even put this issue on its agenda for a long time, and that it adopted the same indifferent approach in other issues too.
President Erdoğan expressed the following views:
"When did they consider the Syrian crisis from a humanitarian point of view? While hundreds of thousands of people were killed and millions more fled the Assad regime's attacks, the West's concern was how to prevent the refugees from coming to their doorstep. When Assad used chemical weapons, what did the UN Security Council do? They did nothing. Furthermore, the regime continued its attacks afterwards. What about the UN's promise to defend victims from aggressors, to stand alongside oppressed people against oppressors, and to restrain them? None of this happened. Didn't we go through something similar in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Isn't this what happened in Palestine, Kashmir, Crimea, and Myanmar? This demonstrates that global governance is incapable of delivering effective and equitable solutions.
The issue, of course, is not confined to this. There is a significant problem of reconciliation. Which problem are we going to address, and how are we going to solve it? When will we take a common stance on terrorism? When will anti-Islamism be considered a crime against humanity? When will we stand united in our condemnation of all types of terrorism? We don't see those, unfortunately."
In response to the question, "Can we claim that your recommendation that the UN be subjected to reform is primarily due to the issue of global governance?" President Erdoğan stated that not only was there a global governance problem but that there were numerous reasons for reform.
President Erdoğan continued to make the following remarks:
"First and foremost, the UN lacks worldwide representation. Only five countries were placed in the centre when it was founded following the Second World War. But now, it's a completely new world. Although China and Russia are members of the Security Council, this does not make the Council more equitable. Is it possible for a system to disregard 1.5 billion Muslims? Could peace and harmony be restored by a UN Security Council that lacks cultural diversity and fails to be inclusive as a civilisation? Clearly not, and it is obviously incapable of doing so."
"We have left the world to the fate of five countries," President Erdoğan stated, emphasising that the UN is likewise incapable of representing the new global political balance. "By virtue of their presence in the Security Council, countries thousands of kilometres away are making judgments about the crisis unfolding right next to us and shaping people's fates. I would agree if they adopted an attitude for making just decisions. However, they do not acknowledge the just as being right, nor do they teach the unjust their lesson. They simply care about their own national interests."
President Erdoğan also called for an investigation into who vetoed how many UN Security Council draft resolutions, as well as the reasons and outcomes of those vetoes, and added that such an attitude was unacceptable.
"Diversity of power is not reflected in the UN Security Council"
President Erdoğan stressed that the world had changed and it was no more a bipolar or unipolar world, noting the following:
"In the world, there are numerous power centres. First and foremost, there are countries that speak out. 'We do not accept this system in its current form, and we do not accept decisions that come out of your mouth,' they say. This diversity of power is not reflected in the UN Security Council. Is it really fair to leave the entire world's politics to five representatives of a system that was formed based on the Second World War's outcomes?
While Europe is represented by two countries alone in the Security Council, neither South America nor Africa has a single member. However, the population of Europe as a whole accounts for barely 5% of the global population. Only a fourth of the world's population is represented by the five permanent members today. The names of those representing the remaining three-fourths are not even uttered; they are not represented in any way. How possible is it to say that such a system is representative?"
"We have done what is required under the international law, and we will not hesitate to do so in the future"
Stating that Türkiye respects international law, President Erdoğan said they did not hesitate to protect Türkiye's rights.
President Erdoğan said, "What we stand against here is the double standard being imposed on us under the guise of international law. Will we now fail to safeguard our rights in the Eastern Mediterranean? Will we accept the maps created on the desk? Will we stand idly and do nothing while a terror corridor is built right next to us? Of course, we cannot stand idly. We have done what is required under the international law on this issue, and we will not hesitate to do so in the future."
"We will not allow the rights of our nation to be infringed"
Pointing out that the UN system is faced with a legitimacy crisis, President Erdoğan continued as follows:
"There is a pressing need to resolve this crisis. Otherwise, it will not be possible to establish stability and order in global politics where everyone is self-ordained. On the contrary, chaos will reign. Our criticism is aimed at this distorted notion of legitimacy and its practices. We need to be more vocal about them. Our culture, civilization and traditions teach us 'not to succumb to injustice'. This is also our obligation to our nation; we will not allow the rights of our nation to be infringed. We cannot remain silent.
The UN Security Council's decisions should be fair. Decisions made without regard for justice afflict the global conscience and erode public trust in the UN. Decisions are made, but we have no idea what is behind them. The UN must be transparent and accountable.
The invasion of Iraq was against international law. So what happened? Who benefited from it? Hundreds of thousands of innocent people lost their lives; millions were displaced and left their homes. It created a chaotic environment in which terrorist groups could operate freely. But if international law had been respected and a legitimate decision had been made, perhaps we could have solved many crises. We must address the representation problem, the legitimacy crisis and turn the UN into an organization that is more transparent and accountable to the international community. Is it possible to hold those who make decisions behind closed doors accountable? Who is going to hold them accountable? We say, 'Let us use the UN General Assembly more effectively, strengthen it, and transform it into an organization that functions as a global assembly.' It is possible to accomplish that."
"It is critical to strike a balance between justice and power"
In response to the question, "By proposing a new model in your book, you say that a fairer world is possible. What kind of reform proposal do you offer?" President Erdoğan gave the following answer:
"So far, there have been discussions about the reform, and many official or semi-official meetings have been held. Various reform models have been discussed, and many issues have been addressed as part of these models. Unfortunately, no progress has been made thus far, and nor does it appear to be possible. On the contrary, all debates have been shelved in favour of the states' narrow national interests, and they are entangled in lengthy and complicated processes. Rather than concentrating on urgent and strategic issues, secondary issues stymied processes, and reform proposals were archived without discussion.
To implement reform, we must first establish principles. We must first define these principles in order to determine the type of reform that is required. We say, 'First of all, let us put aside the open-ended discussions.' Let us adopt a truly reformist stance that will radically transform the UN system instead of its narrow interests and try to focus on strategic goals, away from vicious discussions. Only then will it be possible to develop a fair and sustainable agenda that is devoid of privileges. We believe that the proposal that will be put forward should be comprehensive, fundamental and revolutionary. It should be structured on a ground that will ensure unity around a single issue rather than getting bogged down by secondary issues. It should be able to identify the most important matter and create a new agenda around it."
Expressing that they recommended adopting an approach centred on the principles of justice and equality, President Erdoğan pointed out that a fair and sustainable UN could only be achieved by ensuring fair representation of each state and reflecting the power balance in the international system.
President Erdoğan said, "In other words, it is critical to strike a balance between justice and power. To this end, we suggest that the relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council should now be openly discussed for a workable solution that can be produced. Without transforming the General Assembly into a legislative body and the Security Council into an executive body, justice cannot be served and the UN cannot be saved. A structure in which the members of the Security Council have permanent and unlimited powers and are not accountable to the General Assembly cannot be sustained."
Emphasising that the Security Council could not be independent of the General Assembly, President Erdoğan pointed out the following:
"The strategic step to be taken to establish the relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council must, first of all, make it necessary to face the veto power. No reform effort will succeed unless the veto power is abolished. For this reason, it is necessary to set aside all other concerns and concentrate exclusively on veto power and mobilise the international community around this issue. Concentrating on the primary goal is the only way out, rather than wasting time and effort on peripheral issues and being driven away by pointless debates. If we are serious about the UN reform, we must accept the principle of 'The world is bigger than five' and eliminate these privileges as a first step.
None of the reform efforts will yield the desired outcomes unless the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly is improved in favour of the General Assembly. It cannot establish the principles of fairness and functionality. As a result, it is only natural to have a political principle that requires the Security Council to be an affiliate, an extension of the General Assembly and to be accountable to it.
"We said to this nation, 'We will turn our country into an influential and well-respected power'"
Reminded that the global system was undergoing a transformation and asked, "How do you position Türkiye?" President Erdoğan noted the following:
"As Türkiye, we do not want to be bystanders as the international system evolves. We made a promise to this nation. We said, 'We will turn our country into an influential and well-respected power'. But we also said, 'We will also be the voice of the global conscience'. For this reason, we have always attached importance to humanitarian diplomacy. In all honesty, we had a word to say and a solution to propose not only for our own national interests but for all global issues. While doing these, we have never given up on our humanitarian understanding. We became the country that provided the largest aid in proportion to its national income. When all countries contained themselves and masks were confiscated during the pandemic, we shared what we had with the countries in need. This is our foreign policy's philosophical foundation. But at the same time, we never lost our realism, and we never will."
President Erdoğan stated that the pursuit of a new international order was not only expressed as an idea but emerged as a necessity.
Expressing that Türkiye has always cared and will always care about this pursuit, President Erdoğan continued as follows:
"As Türkiye, we believe that the UN must have a framework that is both fair and robust in order for the international order to be legitimate and sustainable.We want to support the steps to be taken in this direction and openly discuss the proposals. The critical process we are in contains such dangerous elements that no country, including those that profit the most from the system, can shield itself from the repercussions.
We are faced with serious global problems. Problems such as terrorism, migration, climate conditions, global warming, drought, injustice, and failed states are all on display for us to see. Now, the possibility of interstate conflicts has been added to such problems. Furthermore, rising social reactions, exclusionary nationalism and protectionism threaten the environment of international peace and stability. It appears as if humanity is swiftly being dragged into great chaos, a conflict. If we do not find a solution to these problems by speaking out frankly now, it will be too late tomorrow. The only tool in the hands of humanity is still the UN platform, despite all its problems. For this reason, action must be taken at the UN, absolutely and urgently. Our proposal is to reform the UN system in accordance with the changing conditions of the world."
Reminded that in his speech at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, he made a call once again by bringing the issue of reform to the agenda, and brought light upon the silence fallen into when it comes to solving many problems in response to the question, "In this sense, you also touched upon the Syrian issue. What should the international community do about Syria?" President Erdoğan emphasised that the General Assembly speeches were historical.
Stating that the UN rostrum was a world rostrum and that all leaders present their perspectives, their own approaches to the issues of the day, and offer solutions, President Erdoğan said, "We are trying to convey a common message in all the meetings we attend. We are trying to shed light on the main issues of that day. But most importantly, we always talk about justice, peace and stability. The world is tired of hypocrisy, injustice, and outdated clichés. We are calling for realistic solutions, free from all these."
Stating that the message they gave at this year's General Assembly was very clear, President Erdoğan continued as follows:
"We emphasised that in order to overcome the challenges we face, we must first adopt an approach that seeks justice and relieves the global public conscience. Of course, these alone are not enough. We have to take rational steps to solve the problems. In this regard, Syria stands before us with all its clarity. The humanitarian plight that caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions before the eyes of the whole world in Syria has left its 10th year behind. While our country embraces nearly 4 million Syrians, it also fights on the field with great effort against terrorist organisations that cause the region to flood with blood and tears. We are the only NATO member to effectively fight the DAESH terrorist organisation on the field and defeat it by clearing it right beyond our border. Again, with our presence on the field, we prevented the massacres and ethnic cleansing activities committed by the PKK terrorist organisation's extensions in Syria and liberated these regions. So far, we have enabled the voluntary return of 462 thousand Syrians to the regions we have secured as a result of our efforts at the expense of martyrs."
"Terrorism is the common enemy of all humanity"
Underlining that Türkiye is also exerting considerable effort in Idlib, President Erdoğan said, "We saved the lives of millions of people and averted their displacement as a result of our presence there. The international community cannot allow the Syrian crisis to continue for another decade. A stronger will is required to find a political solution to the crisis on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and in a manner that will meet the Syrian people's expectations."
President Erdoğan emphasised that they were doing everything possible to ensure that humanitarian aid processes in Syria were not disrupted, reminding that, at this point, they welcomed the UN humanitarian aid mechanism's extension for another 12 months. President Erdoğan expressed that they expected this positive approach to be adopted in order to advance the political process and secure asylum seekers' voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation.
President Erdoğan made the following statements in his interview:
"Another of our priorities in Syria is, of course, the fight against terrorism and the complete eradication of terrorist organisations from the region. However, we observe that, while we fight terrorism, some distinguish between terrorist organisations. This is unacceptable. Terrorism is a common problem of humanity. Today, the most severe human rights crimes are committed in areas of Syria controlled by the terrorist organisation PKK-YPG, which they support, and civilians are executed or tortured simply because they oppose them. These atrocities and gross violations occur in plain view of our allies. They are openly propagandising for the terrorist organisation YPG. This is neither rational nor moral. We have long stated that terrorism is the common enemy of all humanity. Our determined struggle to end terrorism and against any attempt to undermine Syria's territorial integrity will continue."
"The Paris Agreement is among the key elements of our 2053 vision"
As a response to the question, "In your address to the UN, you also touched upon the issues related to climate change and announced that you would commence the ratification process for the Paris Agreement, to which Türkiye is a signatory. What are Türkiye's priorities with regards to climate change?" President Erdoğan pointed out that climate change was one of the greatest challenges that humanity faces.
Stressing that the misguided policies enacted thus far, as well as development strategies based on the idea of perpetual growth and expansion, sadly resulted in an imprudent use of the world's resources, President Erdoğan reminded that, while nature embraced the millions of living creatures that call it home, humanity acted as if resources were limitless, and was now coming face to face a grave threat.
President Erdoğan expressed that the entire globe was confronted with air pollution, water and food safety, biodiversity loss, significant environmental disasters, and numerous other risks and threats, and that it was currently being considered how these risks and threats might be minimised and solutions developed, adding that the international community should immediately treat this matter much more seriously.
President Erdoğan noted the following:
"We must realise that we can only win this battle if we all work together. Therefore, we must first ensure that global governance systems for climate change are functioning properly. In this regard, we must adopt a mindset that considers not only ourselves but the entire humanity. That is, we reiterate the statement, "The World is Bigger than Five," which we communicate at every opportunity, including on climate change. We must also be fair at this point. Whoever has caused the most harm to nature, our air, water, soil, and earth, and whoever has cruelly plundered natural resources, should contribute the most to the fight against climate change. No one has the luxury to claim, 'I am powerful, and I will not pay for it.'"
Recalling his announcement at the UN rostrum that the ratification process for the Paris Agreement would be commenced and that they were determined on this issue, President Erdoğan said the following:
"We intend to conclude the ratification phase of the agreement with 'carbon neutrality' targets prior to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. We consider this process, which will lead to radical changes in our investment, production, and employment policies, as one of the key elements of our 2053 vision. Thus, as Türkiye, we will fulfil the responsibility placed upon us and make tackling climate change a top policy priority. We will gradually implement the roadmap we have created to safeguard our homeland, our country from risks and threats posed by climate change while also focusing on the global struggle. This must be undertaken for the sake of our future, our security, and future generations. Our objective is to foster a responsible national consciousness that is acutely aware of climate change and to equip our state with a strategic structure capable of keeping up with it across all of its institutions. By establishing this eco-system, we will wage a more effective struggle and be able to contribute far more effectively to the global struggle on this issue."