Following is the message President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued on the occasion of the 77thanniversary of the establishment of the United Nations and 24 October United Nations Day:
Türkiye is one of the countries that has made the most concrete contributions and assumed leading roles in the works carried out within the UN in the areas of peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.
We participate in the UN’s peacekeeping missions, lead such initiatives as the Mediation for Peace and Alliance of Civilizations, and support the implementation of UN’s Sustainable Development agenda through the UN Technology Bank in Gebze and other works of ours.
Besides being one of the 20 countries making the biggest contribution to the UN’s Regular Budget, we host the regional headquarters of various UN institutions and agencies within the framework of our works aimed at making Istanbul a center for the UN.
The humanitarian diplomacy, which is one of the fundamental priorities of our foreign policy, is one of the areas where our country plays an active role under UN’s roof as well. We are rightly proud of being the top donor of humanitarian aid in the world in ratio to national income.
We as a responsible member of the international community spearhead the efforts aimed at averting conflicts and maintaining stability in our region and beyond. We have led the shipment of the Ukrainian grain to the world via the Black Sea through the intensive endeavors we have exerted in cooperation with UN Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres. We have thus far ensured the shipment of over 8 million tons of grain and similar products within Istanbul Agreement. We continue in an intensive manner our diplomatic talks aimed at uninterruptedly maintaining the shipments.
We endeavor to build an awareness in combatting Islamophobia and cultural racism, which pose a threat to global peace and tranquility. We have taken an important step in this regard by spearheading the works to proclaim March 15 as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia”. We will continue our efforts both within the UN and at bilateral level in order for the climate of hatred to not poison social peace.
It is obvious that the UN should assume a more active role in resolving the crises, which claim the lives of thousands of innocent people every day, and in ensuring sustainable development. And only through the reformation of the UN Security Council in line with the principle of equal representation can this be achieved. A more democratic, more transparent, more active and more accountable Security Council is the joint expectation of the international community. A UN General Assembly, where all the member countries are equally represented and which reflects the common will of the international community, should definitely be strengthened.
Türkiye will continue to be a strong supporter and defender of the UN, the values represented by the UN and the activities of the UN.
With these thoughts in my mind, I congratulate the 77th foundation anniversary of the United Nations, of which our country is one of the founding members, and hope the UN’s works will contribute to the global peace, stability and prosperity.