Türkiye says Sinirlioglu bid aims to break UN selection deadlock

Nomination aims to overcome impasse

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that Ankara's nomination of Feridun Sinirlioglu for UN Secretary-General is intended to help overcome a deadlock in the selection process. Speaking to Anadolu and Turkish public broadcaster TRT on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, Fidan stated: "Our goal is to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming the impasse." He noted that Ankara had been closely monitoring the process for approximately a year and anticipated that difficulties could emerge among the candidates.

The formal nomination was submitted on Friday when Türkiye's UN Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz transmitted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's nomination letter to the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council. The move came after the year-long process involving several candidates from Latin America — in line with the informal geographical rotation traditionally considered in selecting the UN chief — had stalled. Fidan stressed that Ankara's decision was not simply an attempt to enter the competition but rather an effort to contribute to resolving the impasse.

Regional rotation deadlock

Fidan said Türkiye respects the expectation that Latin America should have the opportunity to produce the next secretary-general, but added that the process had reached a stalemate. He explained that the nomination of candidates from other regions when the selection process becomes deadlocked is not unprecedented in UN history. The decision to formally nominate Sinirlioglu followed the latest developments in the selection process, including voting involving the United Arab Emirates' candidate Lana Nusseibeh.

"Once the deadlock became clear, we officially submitted our own candidate to the UN with a letter signed by our president," Fidan said. He highlighted Sinirlioglu's extensive credentials, citing his previous service as Türkiye's UN ambassador and his election as secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in December 2024. Fidan emphasized that Ankara attaches great importance to multilateralism and the effective functioning of international organizations, particularly the UN.

President Erdogan strongly supports a UN system that operates "genuinely and fairly," Fidan added, noting that "Türkiye will continue to do everything it can to contribute to this." He described Sinirlioglu's nomination as one part of Ankara's broader diplomatic efforts to strengthen the organization.

Selection mechanics

A candidate needs at least nine votes in the Security Council to secure the required support, while any of the five permanent members — the US, China, France, Russia, and the UK — can block a candidate with a veto. The eventual nominee must be appointed by the General Assembly, with that step generally considered a formality once the Security Council has reached an agreement. The term of current secretary-general Antonio Guterres ends on Dec. 31.