Erdoğan Calls for Palestine Recognition, UN Security Council Reform in UNGA81 Speech
By Shahnoor Saqib | SCN NEWS
UNITED NATIONS, New York, Sept. 22 (SCN NEWS) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for wider recognition of a Palestinian state and reform of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, saying the world body was increasingly unable to fulfil its central responsibility of maintaining international peace and security as conflicts from Gaza to Ukraine and Sudan strain the global system.
Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Erdoğan said an international system in which five permanent Security Council members hold veto power could no longer adequately represent the wider UN membership. The Turkish leader has for years promoted the slogan that “the world is bigger than five,” referring to the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France, but he used Tuesday's speech to link that longstanding demand directly to the UN's inability to respond effectively to current wars.
Gaza dominated much of Erdoğan's address. He renewed Türkiye's sharp criticism of Israel's military campaign, called for greater international pressure on the Israeli government and urged countries that have not recognised Palestine to do so. Israel rejects accusations that its operations amount to genocide and says its military campaign has targeted Hamas and other armed groups.
Erdoğan argued that developments in Gaza and the occupied West Bank demonstrated the limits of the existing international system. He said civilians continued to suffer despite diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire and accused Israel of pursuing policies that were making a viable Palestinian state increasingly difficult to achieve.
The Turkish president also drew attention to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's absence from the gathering and said Türkiye would continue to speak in support of a free and sovereign Palestinian state. Ankara has sought to use successive UN gatherings to build international backing for Palestinian statehood while maintaining pressure for a permanent ceasefire and expanded humanitarian access to Gaza.
Erdoğan's criticism of the UN extended beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He cited continuing crises including Sudan and Ukraine while arguing that the organisation's inability to prevent or end wars was eroding confidence in the international system. His remarks came hours after UN Secretary-General António Guterres used his own final opening address to warn that geopolitical divisions had widened dramatically and called for stronger international cooperation.
On Ukraine, Erdoğan reiterated support for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity while calling for a negotiated end to the war. Türkiye, a NATO member, has maintained relations with both Kyiv and Moscow and has repeatedly sought a mediating role, including through previous negotiations and agreements involving Black Sea grain exports.
The combination of Palestine and Security Council reform gave Erdoğan's speech a broader significance than another denunciation of the Gaza war. Ankara presented the Palestinian crisis as evidence for its longstanding argument that the structure created after World War Two no longer reflects the political realities or representation demands of the wider international community.
Security Council reform has increasingly become a demand extending beyond Türkiye. African governments have pushed for permanent representation, while countries in Asia and Latin America have also sought a larger role in global decision-making. Any fundamental change, however, would face formidable political obstacles because amendments to the UN Charter require ratification that includes all five existing permanent Security Council members.
Erdoğan's message at UNGA81 therefore combined an immediate diplomatic demand with a longer-term institutional challenge: increase pressure for Palestinian statehood while changing a Security Council structure that Ankara argues has repeatedly prevented the United Nations from responding effectively when its most powerful members disagree.