Eurasia Press & News
Top officials in Turkey, which is one of the countries most affected by the Syrian crisis, has been pushing hard for a tougher stance on the Syrian regime in talks in New York, where they are attending the UN General Assembly’s 68th meeting with a delegation of high-level diplomats.
On his way to New York, Turkish President Abdullah Gul had made it clear that the conflict in Syria is the top item on Ankara’s agenda for the UN General Assembly meeting, and it is considered the most important foreign policy and national security issue for Turkey.
On Tuesday Gul spoke at the UN Assembly, his most important topic being Syria and the UN’s reticence to end the crisis in the war-torn country.
Gul said that a lack of action from the UN Security Council (UNSC) only emboldens aggressive regimes. “We need a UN capable of forcing the perpetrators of brutal actions to submit to justice and the rule of law. Decisive action is the only way that the UN system will remain relevant and credible. To face this new reality, we need a Security Council which is truly democratic, representative, effective and accountable,” added Gul.
Gul held a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday, in which he stressed the need for a political strategy to overcome the crisis in Syria.
During his talks, Gul also stepped up his criticisms of the UN’s ineffectiveness, saying the world body has to take concrete action to avoid damaging its reputation any further.
“It is a disgrace that the UNSC has failed to uphold its primary responsibility in this case. It is deeply regrettable that political differences, balance-of-power politics and geopolitical considerations have prevailed over the imperative to end this tragedy,” said Gul.
Previously, Gul noted that the UN’s stature has lessened in the eyes of the people and the credibility of the world body has dropped. Gul recently urged the UNSC to listen to Turkey, one of the countries that is most affected by the Syrian crisis, very carefully.
Turkey is frustrated by the stalemate in the 15-nation UNSC, where permanent members Russia and China have blocked attempts to pass a resolution criticizing the Syrian regime for the bloodshed in the country.
