Turkey deserves the right to engage one of the places in the UN Security Council, which will be freed at the end of 2008, stated today the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Ali Babajan. He expressed the opinion that the growing influence of Ankara in the international arena makes it possible for it to design for an armchair in the composition of inconstant participants of the Security Council.
The head of Turkish diplomacy made his statements before leaving for New York. There, he will attempt to convince the UN General Assembly of the fact that Turkey is worthy to join the Security Council, RBK reports with reference to Associated Press. On 17 October, the General Assembly will elect five countries through voting, which from 2009 will become part of the Security Council.
According to the United Nations Charter, the Security Council consists of 15 members, only five of whom have the status of permanent participants, who have the right of veto ї Russia, the USA, China, France and Great Britain. Other 10 participants in the Security Council are elected for a two-year period. Turkey will struggle with Austria and Iceland for the place in the Security Council.