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ANKARA: Tough UN mandate underway for Turkey

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  • ANKARA: Tough UN mandate underway for Turkey

    Hürriyet, Turkey
    Jan 2 2009



    Tough UN mandate underway for Turkey

    ANKARA - Turkey's two-year mandate on the United Nations Security
    Council officially commenced yesterday, in what is seen as a test of
    Turkish diplomacy as Turkey is seeking to become a global player.

    Turkey's last seat as non-permanent member of the Security Council
    was in 1961. Turkey will become the member of the European group, with
    Austria and the two permanent members, France and Britain. It will
    also take the council's presidency for one month in June. Foreign
    Minister Ali Babacan will spend most of his time in New York during
    this period according to diplomats.

    Uncertainty over envoy
    The first meeting of the Security Council is expected to be held
    Jan. 5, when Turkey's permanent representative, Baki Ä°lkin,
    will take the seat. However, there is still uncertainty over
    Ä°lkin's position in the council as he was actually retired from
    the diplomatic service due to the age limitation. Thanks to a
    presidential decree appointing Ä°lkin as the president's chief
    foreign policy adviser he kept his post in New York but caused unease
    within the Foreign Ministry. According to some diplomats, Ä°lkin
    has no representative authority, as the Foreign Ministry regulation
    does not allow retired diplomats to talk on behalf of the state.

    It is uncertain whether Ä°lkin will continue his task in the
    United Nations during the two-year term or will be replaced by another
    diplomat.

    The first issue that the council will discuss is Israeli's offensive
    in Gaza, which has already claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent
    people.

    Turkey has already initiated an intense diplomatic campaign to
    persuade Israel to halt its attacks and allow humanitarian aid to
    Palestinians. The campaign will continue on within the Security
    Council as well.

    For many diplomats, this two-year term will constitute a test for
    Turkey, which seeks to be a regional and global player. On issues such
    as Iraq, Iran and its nuclear program, the Middle East conflict, the
    Russia-Georgia dispute, the Nagorno Karabagh problem, the Cyprus
    question and the disputes with Greece over the Aegean, Turkey faces
    some difficult foreign policy decisions.
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