President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the United Nations (UN) General Assembly must be made fairer, more inclusive and more effective, and called for the abolition of the veto mechanism.
Erdoğan spoke at the Turkish House in New York, where he was attending the UN's 81st General Assembly, and answered journalists' questions about the agenda. He said more than 130 countries were represented at heads-of-state and government level at the General Assembly meetings, which were held under the theme "Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity."
Call to abolish the veto mechanism at the UN
Erdoğan said he had emphasized his support for multilateralism in his address to the General Assembly and expressed the need for a more inclusive, fair and effective global system. He said he had brought the situation in Gaza to the attention of the international community and outlined his approach based on regional ownership.
Erdoğan said the will of more than 190 countries at the UN was being constrained by the veto power of five countries, adding that this structure could not protect global stability and peace. He said he did not view the issue solely as a matter of Türkiye having a greater say, and stressed that Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Islamic world, Europe and other regions must be represented fairly.
Calling for the veto mechanism to be abolished and the General Assembly to be made stronger and more effective, Erdoğan proposed a system in which elected members would serve for set terms and those seeking re-election would have to earn the trust of the international community. He said all members, rather than only five countries, should contribute to solving global problems.
Intensive diplomatic contacts in New York
Erdoğan said that during his visit to New York, he met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as well as counterparts from Vietnam, Libya, Kuwait, Kosovo, Lebanon, Georgia, Qatar, Senegal, the United Kingdom, Japan, Poland, Bangladesh, Armenia, Iraq and Ukraine.
Erdoğan said the meetings addressed bilateral issues as well as steps that could be taken to prevent instability and conflicts in the region. He added that meetings with U.S. business leaders and think tanks focused on investment and trade opportunities in Türkiye.
Erdoğan also said he attended a meeting bringing together the United States and Gulf Cooperation Council countries at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, where he shared his views and proposals on bringing security and stability to the Middle East.
Message on the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea
Erdoğan said the decline in ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz showed that the issue was not solely a matter between Iran and the United States, and said they opposed closing the strait to maritime traffic. He said protecting freedom of navigation affected Europe, Asia, energy markets, transport and the daily lives of millions of people.
Erdoğan said the Strait of Hormuz must be opened so that problems can be resolved through dialogue and negotiations, and called for new diplomatic channels instead of new fronts.
Erdoğan said the Black Sea must not become a theater of war, adding that restoring navigational safety for commercial vessels would contribute to food security and help prevent the war from spreading. He said they expected the parties to act responsibly and announced that diplomatic efforts to restore the grain corridor had been accelerated. He also said he had discussed the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Emphasis on a permanent ceasefire and political guarantees for Gaza
Erdoğan said lasting peace could not come to the Middle East until the bloodshed in Gaza stopped, the ceasefire became permanent and Palestinians were ensured a dignified future in their own land.
Erdoğan said the parties had demonstrated the will to find a solution for lasting peace and stability in Gaza, and said Israel was undermining peace by continuing its attacks. He stressed the need to establish mechanisms to prevent the war from resuming, accelerate the reconstruction of Gaza and guarantee the political future of the Palestinians.
Defense industry and F-35 talks
Erdoğan said U.S. President Donald Trump had expressed a positive position on Türkiye's return to the F-35 program, adding that they expected this approach to translate into concrete steps.
Emphasizing that the domestic defense industry was a priority for Türkiye, Erdoğan said they wanted to produce fighter jets, air defense systems and defense industry capabilities, particularly the KAAN. He also said work with the United Kingdom on the Eurofighter was continuing.
Statement on the "Terror-Free Türkiye" process
Erdoğan said the "Terror-Free Türkiye" process was not a day-to-day matter and would mean Türkiye's overcoming of a problem that had lasted nearly half a century. He said the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye had established the legal framework, the relevant mechanisms had been set up and institutions were monitoring the process on the ground.
Erdoğan said the organization must actually lay down its arms and complete the disbandment process for the framework law to be implemented. He added that the process was advancing step by step under the control of the relevant units.
Climate agenda and preparations for COP31 in Antalya
Erdoğan recalled that Türkiye would host the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Antalya from November 9 to 20. He said 100,000 participants from different parts of the world would be hosted in Antalya and added that he had also discussed the Zero Waste Movement and efforts to prevent food waste in particular.
Erdoğan said diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the United States would mark their 100th anniversary next year, adding that they aimed to make 2027 an important turning point for relations between the two countries.
