UNITED NATIONS - Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Friday that Turkey would continue to contribute to international peace, stability and security after becoming a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
In a secret ballot in the UN General Assembly, Turkey won two-thirds of votes (equal to 151 votes) and secured a non-permanent seat on the Security Council in the Western European and Others Group.
Turkey will serve a two-year term beginning January 1 alongside permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The Security Council is the powerhouse of the 192-member United Nations with the ability to impose sanctions and dispatch peacekeepers.
"Our key words will be dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful solutions to problems," Babacan told reporters after the voting.
He said international community and several countries strongly supported Turkey for the non-permanent seat which laid a burden on Turkey's shoulders.
"We will continue to do our best. Our consultations in several parts of the world will go on," he said, adding that Turkey's role in the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus would continue in a global way.
(TÇ-GC)
(DIP)