In brief
Turkey’s formal nomination of OSCE Secretary‑General Feridun Sinirlioğlu for the United Nations chief seeks to overcome a year‑long deadlock in the selection process dominated by Latin American candidates. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the move was intended as a diplomatic contribution, not a direct competition. The nomination was submitted by Turkish UN Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız on a letter signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
On Saturday, the Turkish government announced the nomination of Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu for the United Nations secretary‑general at a G20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta, U.S.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the country’s aim was to provide a diplomatic contribution meant to break the impasse that had developed in the selection process.
"Our goal is to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming the impasse,"said Fidan to Anadolu and TRT.
Turkey’s UN ambassador, Ahmet Yıldız, transmitted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s nomination letter to the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, in accordance with the UN Charter and a General Assembly resolution.
According to Fidan, the process had been underway for about a year, with several Latin‑American candidates competing in line with the informal geographical rotation traditionally considered for the UN chief.
He said Turkey had been closely monitoring the proceedings and that difficulties were expected among the candidates when a stalemate emerged. In light of this, Ankara decided to put forward its own nominee.
Fidan noted that the nomination of a candidate from another region is not unprecedented in UN history when the selection process becomes deadlocked.
He also referred to the recent voting involving United Arab Emirates candidate Lana Nusseibeh, indicating that Turkey’s decision to nominate Sinirlioğlu came after the latest developments in the process.
Through the move, Turkey expressed its respect for the expectation that Latin America should have the opportunity to produce the next secretary‑general while also asserting that the existing process had reached a stalemate.
As a career diplomat with extensive experience, Feridun Sinirlioğlu has served as the secretary‑general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) prior to his nomination by Ankara.
