Turkish president to touch upon Russia-Ukraine conflict at United Nations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York for the 13th time on September 19.

Erdogan first addressed the UN General Assembly in 2005 as prime minister, Anadolu reports.

At the 60th session of the UNGA, the Turkish leader spoke of a "more democratic and transparent" UN organization that would represent the common interests of all mankind, be the basis for settling international disputes and a guarantor of world peace.

An important topic of Erdogan's speech at the 62nd UNGA in 2007 was the fight against terrorism.

"A terrorist act that takes place anywhere in the world is a crime against humanity," Erdogan said, calling for solidarity and more effective cooperation to combat the threat.

In his speech at the 64th session of the UNGA, Erdogan said the UN structure should be reformed.

Erdogan said that the UN should increase its effectiveness in order to establish a just and participatory global world order.

"We believe that a democratic, transparent, fair and effective United Nations with strengthened representation will contribute more to global peace and stability," Erdogan said.

Speaking at the 66th session of the UNGA in 2011 as prime minister, Erdogan made messages regarding Syria, Libya, Somalia and Palestine, and said the years-long unjust occupation of Azerbaijani lands must end.

A clear message regarding the need for UN reform came from Erdoğan at the 69th session of the UNGA in 2014, which he attended after his first election as president. In his speech at the UNGA, Erdogan stated that "the world is bigger than five," referring to the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The Turkish head of state attended the 71st session of the UNGA about two months after the July 15, 2016, attempted coup d'état in Türkiye. Erdogan called on friendly countries to take precautionary measures against the Parallel State terrorist organization (FETO).

Erdogan noted the heroic resilience of the Turkish people who took to the streets on the night of the coup attempt to defend democracy and drew attention to the threat posed by FETÖ.

"This new-generation terrorist organization poses a threat to the national security not only of Türkiye, but of all 170 countries where this entity is present. In other words, most of the countries represented at the General Assembly today are threatened by this organization," he warned.

In his speech at the 72nd UNGA in 2017, the Turkish leader raised the issue of Syria and the fight against terrorism.

"Türkiye is fighting fiercely against the region's bloodiest terrorist organizations, such as the DEAŞ and the PKK, which feed off instability in Syria and Iraq," Erdogan said.

At the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in 2018, Erdogan emphasized the Palestinian issue and criticized the World Organization.

"Türkiye will continue to support the oppressed Palestinians and defend the historical and legal status of Jerusalem," the Turkish leader emphasized.

At the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in 2019, President Erdoğan drew attention to the topic of illegal migration by showing a photo of baby Aylan, whose tiny body was thrown onto a beach in the Bodrum district of Mugla province.

The photo of the dead Aylan has become a kind of symbol of the problem of illegal migration.

President Erdogan also drew attention to the Palestinian issue by showing the changes in the map of Palestine since 1947.

In particular, the Turkish leader vividly showed on the map the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements.

The 75th session of the UNGA was held in 2020 in virtual mode due to the coronavirus pandemic affecting the whole world.

In his speech at the UNGA, President Erdogan drew attention to the importance of international cooperation in fighting the pandemic.

The Turkish leader also reiterated the need to reform the UN structures.

"The fate of humanity cannot be left to the whims of a limited number of countries. In order to prevent losing our reputation in international organizations, we must first revise our mentality, institutions and rules," Erdogan said.

In his speech at the 76th UNGA in 2021, the Turkish president drew attention to the fight against climate change.

President Erdoğan drew attention to the natural disasters that have occurred in different parts of the world, as well as migration caused by natural disasters and conflicts in regions such as Syria and Afghanistan.

The world has not found solutions to deal with the migration of hundreds of millions of people due to causes such as drought, food shortages and weather events, Erdogan said.

At the 77th UNGA in 2022, Erdogan spoke about the developments in the Ukraine conflict, the Black Sea Grain Corridor and Türkiye's work on the negotiation process between the conflicting parties.

In his 13th address to the UNGA this year, Erdogan will touch upon the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the situation in Syria, Palestine and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Anti-terrorism, refugee issues and climate change are also on the agenda of the head of state.