Turkish president calls for UN Security Council reform, end to veto privilege

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, including the removal of the veto power held by its permanent members, arguing that the international system must better reflect today's global realities.

In an article for Bloomberg titled "The Quest for Global Justice in a Changing World," Erdogan said recent crises, including pandemics, energy shocks, disruptions to supply chains and regional conflicts, had demonstrated the limits of leaving solutions to global challenges to the decisions of a handful of capitals.

Stressing that global decision-making mechanisms must now adapt to today's conditions, he said the UN Security Council continues to reflect the structure established after World War II.

Erdogan said "a more effective, fair and accountable" system of representation was necessary and called for broader participation in global decision-making.

He said Türkiye's call that "the world is bigger than five" should be understood as an appeal for a broader distribution of responsibility in the international system.

Erdogan has long pushed for reforms to the UN, often using the slogan: "The world is bigger than five," which refers to the Security Council's unrepresentative membership.

For years, the Council has faced claims that its five veto-wielding members -- the US, the UK, France, Russia and China -- command disproportionate influence.

"It is essential to turn the need for reform into a concrete roadmap," Erdogan said. "At the center of this roadmap should be the abolition of the veto privilege."

He argued that simply adding new permanent members to the Security Council would not resolve the concentration of decision-making power in the hands of a small number of countries.

According to Erdogan, reform should instead be based on the principle that no country should have the permanent ability to block the will of the majority of the international community.