NEW YORK - Turkey`s Foreign Minister said on Tuesday that Turkey stood a good chance to get a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council (UNSC), however, added that efforts should continue till the last moment in such election process.
Ambassador Baki Ilkin, permanent representative of Turkey to the UN, hosted a reception in honor of the representatives of other countries at New York`s Turkevi on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at the reception, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that his visit aimed to get the support of as many countries as possible for Turkey`s getting a non-permanent membership at UNSC.
Noting that the election for such seat would most probably take place in October, Babacan said he desired to meet and exchange views with permanent representatives of various countries prior to such election.
Babacan said he had so far held talks with the Latin American and Caribbean group, the Least Developed Countries (LDC) and Srgjan Kerim, the president of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly.
He said he would also meet the representatives of countries from Africa Union, Arab League and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) during his stay in New York.
Babacan said Turkey had not been a UNSC member for 47 years.
"We think that Turkey deserves this seat after nearly half a century. We believe we will be a very active and contributing country when we become a member to UNSC," he said.
Babacan told participants of the reception that Turkey believed the importance of UN`s undertaking a more effective role. He added that Turkey believed that UN could contribute more to security, peace and development of the world.
Babacan said that Turkey contributed to development and prosperity of the world both in its region and in different places of the world. He added that Turkey could make great contributions in UN Security Council. "That`s why I am in New York. I will tell what Turkey is doing, our reform process and our contribution to peace and security in Middle East, Balkans and other places of the world," he said.
United Nations General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim, who also attended the reception, said that Turkey was a very important country both for UN and in its region, adding that Turkey was a constructive actor. Kerim said that Turkey undertook role in Middle East dialogue as well as crisis management in Balkans; it was a connection between Europe and Asia, and a part of Europe-Atlantic integration.
Kerim said that Turkey was an example for developing countries with the reforms it fulfilled.
(DO-GC-AÖ)