President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in remarks at the Turkish House in New York that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly should become more just, inclusive and effective. Erdoğan called for the veto mechanism to be abolished to achieve this goal.
Erdoğan answered journalists' questions during the UN's 81st General Assembly. He said more than 130 countries were represented at the heads-of-state or government level at the General Assembly meetings and that the work was being conducted under the theme "Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity."
A new UN model without veto power
Erdoğan said he had demonstrated his support for multilateralism in his address to the General Assembly and stated that the global system needed to be more inclusive, just and effective. He said he had brought developments 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 and stated that the current structure was insufficient to protect global stability and peace. He emphasized that the issue should not be viewed solely as a matter of Türkiye having a greater say, and called for Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Islamic world, Europe and other regions to be represented fairly.
Erdoğan renewed his call for the veto mechanism to be abolished and the General Assembly to be strengthened. He proposed a system in which elected members would serve for set periods and those seeking to serve again would have to earn the confidence of the international community. Erdoğan said all members, not only five countries, should take responsibility for resolving global problems.
Conflicts and investment on the agenda in New York meetings
During his New York program, Erdoğan met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and counterparts from Vietnam, Libya, Kuwait, Kosovo, Lebanon, Georgia, Qatar, Senegal, the United Kingdom, Japan, Poland, Bangladesh, Armenia, Iraq and Ukraine. He said the meetings addressed bilateral issues as well as steps that could be taken to prevent regional instability and conflicts.
Erdoğan said he had outlined Türkiye's investment and trade opportunities at meetings with business circles and think tanks in the United States. He 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. Erdoğan said he shared his views and proposals for bringing security and stability to the Middle East at the meeting.
Emphasis on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea
Erdoğan said the decline in shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz showed that the issue was not merely a matter between Iran and the United States, and stated that they opposed closing the strait to maritime traffic. He said protecting freedom of navigation affected Europe, Asia, energy markets, transportation and the daily lives of millions of people.
Erdoğan said the Strait of Hormuz should be opened to resolve problems through dialogue and negotiations, and called for new diplomatic channels instead of new fronts.
Erdoğan said the Black Sea should 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, announced that diplomatic efforts to re-establish the grain corridor had been accelerated, and said he had discussed the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Permanent ceasefire and political future in Gaza
Erdoğan said lasting peace could not be established in the Middle East until the bloodshed in Gaza stopped, a 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 stated that Israel was undermining peace efforts by continuing its attacks. He said mechanisms must be established to prevent the war from restarting, the reconstruction of Gaza must be accelerated and the political future of the Palestinians must be guaranteed.
F-35, Eurofighter and the domestic defense industry
Erdoğan said U.S. President Donald Trump had demonstrated a positive approach toward 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 other defense industry capabilities, particularly the KAAN. He also said work on the Eurofighter with the United Kingdom was continuing.
Disarmament requirement for a "Terror-Free Türkiye"
Erdoğan said the "Terror-Free Türkiye" process was not a day-to-day issue, and stated that it meant Türkiye would overcome 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 developments on the ground.
Erdoğan said the organization must actually lay down its arms and the disarmament process must be completed for the framework law to be implemented. He noted that the process was advancing step by step under the control of the relevant units.
Preparations for COP31 in Antalya
Recalling that Türkiye would host the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Antalya from Nov. 9 to 20, Erdoğan said 100,000 participants from different parts of the world would be hosted in Antalya.
Erdoğan also outlined the Zero Waste Movement and efforts, particularly to prevent food waste. He said diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the United States would reach their 100th anniversary next year, adding that they aimed to make 2027 an important turning point in relations between the two countries.
