UN Security Council must be reformed: Erdoğan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday the reform of the UN Security Council, which is committed to the will of its five permanent members, is now a necessity rather than a need.

Erdogan highlighted this point in a message on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the founding of the UN.

The United Nations should be more fair, effective, transparent and efficient to meet today's needs, he said in his message.

The UN Charter came into force on Oct. 24, 1945 and is celebrated annually as United Nations Day. In 1971, the UN General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by member states as a public holiday.

The UN General Assembly, in which all member states are equally represented, must be strengthened, Erdogan added.

Turkey, under the auspices of UN mediation, takes a leading role in many activities such as peacekeeping operations, counter-terrorism, humanitarian and development assistance, migration and refugees, he said.

"One of our goals is to make Istanbul a UN center," he said, adding to that end, Turkey has taken important steps so far. As a result of these efforts, Istanbul became one of the regional centers of various UN agencies.

"On behalf of my country and my nation, I would like to express my thanks to everyone who made efforts for the peace, tranquility, stability and prosperity of humanity under the umbrella of the UN.”

The five permanent members of the Security Council are China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.