Turkey's Erdogan calls for UN shake-up over Syria warBy Angela Dewan, CNN Updated 9:50 AM ET, Mon November 21, 2016 (CNN)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an overhaul of the United Nations on Monday, saying its Security Council had failed to address the Syria conflict and other global challenges.
Erdogan gave an unabashed speech in Istanbul at the closing
of a NATO meeting, where he slammed the Security Council's
concentration of power, reiterating that "the world is
bigger than five."
"There are so many countries. There are five permanent
members of the Security Council and one of those five
permanent members can make a decision that binds the rest of
the world. That is not fair, that is not just."
"There have been numerous positive steps taken, however,
the United Nations failed to act effectively facing a
number of issues, Syria included," Erdogan said.
The Security Council, responsible for international
peace and security issues, includes five permanent
member states -- the United States, China, France,
Russia and the United Kingdom -- which all hold the
power to veto decisions or resolutions.
The Council has been widely criticized as
ineffective over its inaction on the war, failing to
push through decisions on the conflict since it
broke out with the Arab Spring in 2011.
That's because Russia -- an ally to Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad's government -- has used its
veto power five times regarding the conflict,
while China vetoed four of the five.
It took three years before any decisive
international intervention, beginning with US-led
airstrikes in 2014.
"To achieve international peace and security, it's
going to be very difficult, and perhaps fail if the
United Nations is not restructured," he said.
"The United Nations was formed at the end of World
War II and we cannot continue to manage this world
with an organization that old."
Unity in Syria
Erdogan also took the opportunity to call on world
powers to stop supporting "terrorist organizations,"
including the Kurdish People's Protection Unit
(YPG). The US calls the YPG a "moderate rebel group"
and has given it military support and arms through
the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance fighting ISIS
militants.
"Some say ... we do not recognize the YPG as a
terrorist organization because they fight against
Daesh," Erdogan said, using the Arabic acronym for
ISIS.
He pointed out that Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, the
militant group formerly known as Jabat Al-Nusra, was
also fighting ISIS and was internationally
considered a terrorist organization.
"They fight against Daesh. Just because a terrorist
fights another terrorist, can you call them a good
terrorist? At least that's what we are seeing in
Syria and Iraq," he said.
He also called on the world to help implement a
no-fly zone in Syria, a policy that US
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary
Clinton suggested during the election campaign.
But the idea has been met with little enthusiasm
in Washington, where it has been mulled for
years.
"But despite saying yes to us, (the no-fly zone)
has been left just sitting there without action.
And it is my wish from now on, headed by the
United States, that these steps now can be
taken. And we can strike a blow to terrorist
organizations, and the dangers in Turkey can be
eliminated," he said.
Broken promises on refugees
Erdogan also used the opportunity to criticize
Europe's response to the refugee crisis,
complaining that the burden had fallen heavily
on Turkey's shoulders and that the Turkish
people were not given enough in return.
"As you know, since the beginning of the
crisis in Syria, Turkey has taken its place
at the frontline. And Turkey has never
turned shy from its humanitarian duties.
Turkey has opened its doors to over 3
million Syrians, and unfortunately all the
promises of support made to Turkey have
remained just that -- promises, and only a
small fraction of those premises have
materialized," he said.
In March the
European Union reached a deal with Ankara,
in which Turkey would essentially prevent
migrants from leaving its coast for EU
states, or would accept migrants sent back
from EU countries for registration there.
In return, Turkey was to receive significant
financial aid and its push to join the union
was to be expedited.
Erdogan was speaking on the final day of the
62nd annual session of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly, where the Syrian
conflict and Europe's refugee crisis
featured heavily in talks.
NATO -- the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization -- is a 28-member group that
deals with security issues in the Atlantic
and couples the United States with its
European allies.
US President-elect Donald Trump during his
election campaign
questioned Washington's commitment to NATO,
as he expressed interest in bringing the US
closer to Russia. Moscow has reiterated it
is not a regional security threat and
accuses NATO of provoking regional tensions.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/21/middleeast/turkey-un-erdogan-syria/ |