Istanbul, Nov 2:
Turkiye has officially nominated former Foreign Minister and veteran diplomat Feridun Sinirlioglu for the post of United Nations Secretary-General.
Sinirlioglu, 70, served briefly as Turkiye’s foreign minister in 2015 and was the country’s ambassador to the UN from 2016 to 2023. He currently heads the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Turkiye’s current UN representative, Ahmet Yildiz, confirmed that Sinirlioglu’s nomination had been formally submitted with the backing of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The next UN chief will succeed António Guterres, whose tenure is nearing its end after almost 10 years. The organisation is facing calls for reform amid criticism over its response to conflicts in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza, as well as a financial crisis that has affected humanitarian and development programmes.
The appointment will be decided by the 15-member UN Security Council, including its five permanent members — the US, Russia, China, Britain and France — before receiving final approval from the 193-member General Assembly.
Sinirlioglu is expected to face challenges, including possible opposition from Greece and Israel. Seven other candidates are also in the race, while an informal regional rotation system could favour a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean.