Ankara strikes upbeat note despite failure in UN Security Council bid

ANKARA

Empty ballot boxes are displayed for the 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly before voting in a secret ballot to fill five non-permanent Security Council seats on Oct. 16 in New York. AFP Photo

The Turkish government has chosen to emphasize its achievements in other international organizations in a statement released shortly after its failure to win a seat at the U.N. Security Council on Oct. 16.

“As has been the case so far, Turkey will continue to make constructive contributions to efforts aimed at preserving international peace and security in line with the U.N.’s fundamental principles and goals in the upcoming period as well,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released on Oct. 17.

New Zealand and Spain were elected to the seats allocated in the “Western Europe and Others” group for which Turkey also bid. Venezuela, Angola and Malaysia were the other countries elected to the coveted temporary Security Council seats.

“Our country, which has been holding rotating presidency of the Global Forum on Migration and Development since July 1, 2014, will also assume the rotating presidency of the G-20 from Dec. 1, 2014. Additionally, it will host the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016,” the Foreign Ministry statement added.

“Our country will continue lending support for efforts that will be exerted in a way that will strengthen efficiency, transparency and accountability of the U.N. Security Council in the face of issues occupying the global agenda,” the brief statement concluded.

Neither Turkey nor Spain got enough votes in the first or second ballot of the election by the General Assembly’s 193 member states. They were competing with New Zealand for the two seats in their group, and after New Zealand easily gained a seat on the first ballot, Spain made it on the third.

Special attention had been on Turkey as it is under growing pressure to do more about the war in Syria pushing up against its border. Turkey lobbied heavily for a council seat, with its foreign minister hosting a party at the iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel the night before the vote.

Over the three rounds of voting, Turkey saw its support dwindle from 109 votes to 73 and finally to 60, surprising many who saw the regional player as a strong contender.

The five winners will join the Security Council on Jan. 1 and serve through 2016 as non-veto-wielding members. The five will replace Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, South Korea and Rwanda.