World Bigger, Larger Than Five’: Turkey Prez Erdogan Backs India’s Bid For UNSC Permanent Seat

Discover the compelling endorsement by Turkish President Erdogan for India’s UNSC bid and his groundbreaking proposal to reshape global diplomacy. Get the inside scoop on the push to expand UNSC membership and why it’s making headlines!

New Delhi: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his support for India’s quest for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during a press conference on the final day of the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit. Erdogan emphasized that Turkey would take pride in India becoming a full-fledged UNSC member. He highlighted the fact that the current UNSC consists of five permanent members – the US, UK, China, France, and Russia – each with veto power, but argued that the world is more diverse than just these five nations. Erdogan proposed a system of rotation for all 195 United Nations member countries to have an opportunity to become UNSC members.

Erdogan stated, “We would be proud if a country like India became a permanent member of the UN Security Council. As you know, the world is bigger and more diverse than just these five (permanent members). When we say the world is larger than five, we mean that it’s not limited to the US, UK, France, China, and Russia. We believe it’s time to expand the Security Council beyond these five countries.”

Advocating for a rotational mechanism for UNSC membership, Erdogan elaborated, “Currently, there are 15 members in the UNSC, with 5 being permanent and 10 rotating. Our proposal is to make all 15 members permanent. We suggest a rotation system where each of the 195 member countries of the UN has the potential to become a UNSC member. This is our proposition.”

Erdogan argued that the voices of the entire world should not be determined solely by the five permanent UNSC members. He emphasized, “What the five members say should not exclusively represent the global community. We believe that all 195 member countries, without distinction between permanent and non-permanent members, should have the potential to join the Security Council. Only then can we achieve global satisfaction.”

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Erdogan held a bilateral meeting during the G20 Summit, with discussions centred on enhancing trade relations, as well as boosting connectivity and infrastructure. Erdogan acknowledged India as Turkey’s foremost trade partner in South Asia and underscored the significant potential for further strengthening economic and commercial ties between the two nations.

“India holds the position of being our top trade partner in South Asia, and there is immense potential for us to deepen our collaboration across various economic sectors,” Erdogan stated on Sunday. The Turkish President also expressed gratitude to PM Modi for the warm hospitality extended to him, his spouse, and the entire Turkish delegation during their visit.