The Presidency's Directorate of Communications held a panel at the Turkevi Centre (Turkish House) in New York titled 'The Search for Justice in the International System,' during which panellists discussed alternatives to the current UN Security Council system, stalled by the way its five permanent members (the P5) exercise their veto powers.
Moderated by Prof Kılıç Buğra Kanat, a researcher and author at SETA, the panel featured panellists including Prof Mehmet Akif Kireçci, a member of the Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Council and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science at Ankara Social Sciences University; Michael Doran, Director of the Centre for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute; Richard Gowan, Director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group; and Dr Kadir Üstün, Washington Executive Director of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).
The panel began with the screening of a video inspired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's motto, 'The World is Bigger than Five,' which criticises the five-member structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and highlights the need to restructure the international system.
As part of the programme, another video featured the Presidency’s Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, addressing the panellists and participants, in which he remarked that Türkiye, as one of the UN’s founding members, 'is a strong supporter and champion of' the values represented by the UN.
Head of Communications Duran stated that, since its founding in 1945, the United Nations has made important achievements pursuing its core objectives, which are maintaining global peace and security and promoting international cooperation.
Highlighting that Türkiye is a staunch supporter and advocate of the values represented by the UN and the principle of multilateralism, Head of Communications Duran stressed that Türkiye has made consistent and significant contributions to initiatives in the areas of peace and security, development, and human rights.
Head of Communications Duran also pointed out that the current structure of the UN, shaped in the aftermath of World War II, no longer reflects the complexities and realities of today’s world. He noted that the international system has recently faced serious challenges, which it has failed to address effectively.
Head of Communications Duran went on to add:
"Conflicts and tensions in various parts of the world—particularly in the Middle East—mass migration movements displacing millions of people, the deepening impact of the climate crisis, and issues such as rising Islamophobia and ethnic and religious discrimination remain major challenges for the current international system."
Remarking that the human tragedy and devastation caused by Israel in Gaza over the past two years stands as one of the most painful examples of how unjust and distorted the current international system has become, Head of Communications Duran said, “In the face of Israel’s occupation policies, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, the United Nations has failed to fulfil its founding mission and has increasingly turned into a cumbersome and dysfunctional institution.”
Highlighting that no resolution has been achieved due to the veto power of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the lack of fair representation, and noting the UN’s inaction in the face of ongoing oppression, Head of Communications Duran underscored the urgent need for comprehensive reform of the organisation—one that would enable it to effectively address global challenges and crises while aligning with the contemporary needs of the international order.
Emphasising that justice is a key principle that must be addressed alongside the need for reform at the UN, Head of Communications Duran said:
"This is why we have set 'The Search for Justice in the International System' as the main theme of our panel. We are guided by the motto of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that “a fairer world is possible,” and as Türkiye, we are doing our part to help make it a reality. We are exerting intense efforts across all platforms to establish a world order that is fairer, more equal, more peaceful, and more stable. We support the steps taken toward improving the functioning of the United Nations system."
"Türkiye’s calls for reform have become the voice of oppressed and victimised peoples and of the global conscience"
"We advocate that international institutions and organisations must be restructured not on the basis of the interests of certain countries, but upon the fundamental principles of justice, peace, and stability," said Head of Communications Duran, adding that Türkiye’s calls for reform have become the voice of oppressed and victimised peoples and of the global conscience.
Emphasising Türkiye's ongoing leadership and constructive role in establishing an order based on justice, security, and stability for all, the Head of Communications, Duran, stated, “As reiterated by our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we will continue our efforts to create a system in which 'the right is strong, rather than the strong being right.'”
Affirming that a system that fails to learn from crises cannot last, Head of Communications Duran said, "Our mission today is to turn the wreckage of these crises into lasting solutions built on justice."
Reiterating that there can be no peace without justice and no sustainable future without peace, Head of Communications Duran said that Türkiye is a country contributing to the construction of a justice-centred global order guided by this vision and that a world in which the right, rather than the strong, prevails is indeed possible.
"Türkiye's quest for justice" in the stalled system emphasised
The first panellist to take the floor, Prof Akif Kireçci, said, “Türkiye is on a quest for justice, because the current system has failed time and again—in Ukraine, in Libya, in Syria, and in Gaza. The developments, particularly in Gaza, have rendered the court of justice that the UN itself established largely irrelevant.
Noting that the veto power of the five permanent members of the UNSC has effectively paralysed the system of delivering justice, Kireçci argued that President Erdoğan’s well-known motto, “The world is bigger than five,” represents "a quest for justice—one that aims to defend the rights of the voiceless and those who are not represented within the current international system."
Kireçci remarked that, with the growing number of global challenges, debates have intensified around the possibility of a "more active relationship" between the UN Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as "potential limitations on exercising veto power."
Speaking on the resolution of the issue, Kireççi noted that meaningful changes could be realised not by Türkiye acting alone, but through the formation of a coalition.
Director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group, Richard Gowan, emphasised in his speech that "it is not the UN that shapes the world, but the world that shapes the UN," adding, "The institutions we are discussing, along with all institutional reforms, must be anchored in a realistic understanding of the broader and evolving order."
Gowan said that reforming the UN is "incredibly challenging", stressing that the current US administration (under Donald Trump) has shown little enthusiasm for the effort.
Gowan said that the UN Security Council’s gridlock has pushed the international community to seek solutions elsewhere, leading institutions such as the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice to become more active.
"I believe we will witness Türkiye’s destined rise"
Director of the Centre for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, Michael Doran, said that the US drawdown in Middle Eastern countries such as Syria and Iraq has created a vacuum, with Türkiye emerging as one of the countries stepping in to fill it.
Emphasising that Türkiye is not only active in the Middle East, Doran said that Ankara also plays an "indispensable role" in stabilising Europe and Central Asia.
Doran said, "Türkiye serves as a key connector — reaching Central Asia through Azerbaijan, Europe via the Black Sea, and extending further into the Middle East. I believe we will witness Türkiye’s destined rise."
Doran, noting his scepticism about changes to the UN's formal structure, said that in the period ahead, this structure is likely to become "less relevant" for resolving regional issues.
Criticising the current structure of the UN Security Council, Washington Executive Director of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Kadir Üstün, said, "The world is moving beyond the Security Council, and it is becoming increasingly irrelevant."
Üstün highlighted the need to critically examine whether countries and the international community genuinely seek to establish "a system that addresses global issues more comprehensively".
Üstün remarked that the current system, which has failed to resolve the Palestinian and many other issues, has reached a “crossroads” and pointed to the lack of principles in the way international problems are being addressed.
Üstün remarked, “I believe we are facing a crisis, to a large extent or at least in part, due to the United States’ reluctance to take on a leadership role.”
