‘Turkey’s calls for UN reform could have prevented Ukraine-Russia war’

The U.N. is in need of an overhaul to tackle the unfair world system, Communications Director Altun emphasized, stating that Turkey at this point is making a difference with its humane policies for peace and stability

Turkey’s calls for a reform of the United Nations’ structure could have prevented Russia’s attack on Ukraine as well as migration of millions of people, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said, highlighting that Turkey continues its efforts to bring peace to the region.

“We want the ethicality of our policies and our voiced arguments to be recognized without painful experiences. A new refugee wave was created before the refugee, migrant problem rooted from Syria and Afghanistan could be solved,” Altun told Star newspaper.

Underlining that Russia’s attack on Ukraine once again proved the unfairness of the world system, Altun said: “The U.N., the European Council, the EU and NATO have turned into a condemning mechanism. We have experienced several times that the U.N., which acts as a legal framework for the interests of the victors of World War II, with its current structure does not provide solutions to global issues but rather deadlock.”

“We have seen how a warring side being a permanent member of the U.N. has blocked processes,” Altun highlighted. “The U.N., with this structure, is not on the side of the weak, the victim or the rightful, but on the side of the strong permanent five members.”

He indicated that the U.N. is in need of a structure that would grant the rights of the victim without any country being able to hinder it, while also being able to sanction the aggressor.

He described Turkey as a power that on one side tries to solve conflicts and crises through peaceful means and on the other tries to find a solution to end unfairness and the system’s problems.

Altun said that under these conditions, Turkey is continuing its efforts for the solution of regional issues and global problems.

“Lastly, we are continuing our honest efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia and prevent a humanitarian crisis since the beginning. Turkey is a key country for several regions thanks to its geopolitical position.”

Altun said that Turkey is contributing as a stability providing force for the solution of crises wherever the U.N. and NATO are not active or where their decisions are ignored.

“Our President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) is striving honestly to make use of his close dialogue with Mr. (Vladimir) Putin and Mr. (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy for the establishment of peace. Within this process, he held several phone calls with both leaders,” Altun said, reiterating that Turkey has also hosted the foreign ministers of the two countries.

“This was the highest level of talks that the two foreign ministers held since the start of the conflict.”

Ankara hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya last month. Foreign Ministers, Sergey Lavrov of Russia and Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine, met in the Turkish resort town of Antalya for talks, which Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also attended. The talks were largely inconclusive, but Ankara hails it as a success for the fact that it took place at all. Following these talks, the negotiation committees of the two countries came together in Istanbul.

“Especially following the meeting in Istanbul, signals came from both sides on decreasing tensions. After this meeting, which took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere, hopes for peace increased while the peace process gained meaningful momentum,” Altun continued.

NATO ally Turkey borders Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Having called Russia’s invasion an unacceptable violation of international law, Turkey has carefully formulated its rhetoric not to offend Moscow, with which it has close energy, defense and tourism ties.

While forging close ties with Russia in a number of areas and relying heavily on Russian tourists, Turkey has sold drones to Ukraine, which angered Moscow. Turkey also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as Moscow’s annexation of Crimea. Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, although closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly said Turkey will not abandon its relations with Russia or Ukraine, underlining that Ankara’s ability to speak to both sides is an asset.