Turkey nominates former foreign minister Sinirlioglu as UN chief

Turkey has officially nominated a former foreign minister and yearslong ambassador to the United Nations for the next UN secretary-general, state-run media reported Saturday. 

The next UN chief will succeed Antonio Guterres, who has led the world body for almost 10 years. The organisation is under pressure to reform as it finds itself sidelined in wars in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza while also facing a financial crisis that has forced major cuts to humanitarian and development programs.

Feridun Sinirlioglu, a 70-year-old former Turkish foreign minister and UN diplomat, had floated his candidacy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s high-level meeting in New York last month.

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Sinirlioglu was Turkey's top diplomat for a few months in 2015, an interim period between elections, and its UN ambassador between 2016 and 2023. He currently serves as the secretary-general of the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. His current three-year mandate is scheduled to end in December 2027, but the top UN job would have a January 1 start date.

Ahmet Yildiz, Turkey’s current representative to the UN, told the Anadolu news agency that Sinirlioglu's name was officially submitted with backing from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan has been vocal in calling for reform of the UN Security Council, especially criticizing the dominance of its five permanent members. Sinirlioglu is likely to reflect the president’s agenda.

The next UN secretary-general will be decided by the 15-nation UN Security Council, especially its five veto-wielding members – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. The 193-member General Assembly must give final approval.

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Sinirlioglu will likely face obstacles from several corners, including Turkey's neighbor Greece, which is one of the 10 elected members of the Security Council. Pushback also would be expected from Israel, a close ally of the US.

Seven other candidates are vying to replace Guterres as he finishes his ​second five-year term. Under an informal regional rotation of the UN’s top job, a candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean region could be selected.