RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN, President of Türkiye, highlighting increasingly complex global challenges, said that unfortunately it is impossible to draw a more optimistic picture of the world’s future.  Conflicts, wars, humanitarian crises and political tensions are getting more and more difficult to deal with.  Terrorism — used as an instrument of proxy wars in Syria, Africa and the Sahel region — is causing irreparable damage to the increasingly fragile international security climate, he observed, noting that the areas of operations of terrorist organizations are spreading like an epidemic.  Moreover, the signs of xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia reached alarming levels in the past year, while climate change and natural hazards have become an everyday reality in peoples’ lives.

He recalled that Türkiye recently faced one of the biggest natural hazards in terms of magnitude and the area affected, with more than 50,000 people losing their lives.  Similarly, Libya was subjected to heavy destruction and significant loss of life caused by storms and floods where 12,000 people perished and thousands still remain unaccounted for.  As a first response to Libya, Türkiye sent three vessels and three planes, along with 567 relief personnel, hundreds of vehicles and thousands of tons of food, shelter and sanitary supplies.  He also noted that his country’s non-governmental organizations are participating in the relief efforts in the region with their own means and capabilities.  Against this backdrop, he detailed Türkiye’s vision that eliminates global injustice, addresses economic inequality and produces peace, security and stability.  “It’s our call for the establishment of an international system for the benefit of all humanity,” he added.

He went on to underscore that the institutions established after the Second World War no longer reflect today’s world and the Security Council has ceased to be the guarantor of the world’s security and, instead, has become a battleground for political strategies of only five countries. As a country that has pioneered numerous initiatives to strengthen peace and stability, Türkiye attaches great importance to the Secretary-General’s call for a New Agenda for Peace.  “Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, we have been endeavouring to keep both our Russian and Ukrainian friends around the table with a thesis that war has no winners and peace will have no losers,” he said, stressing the need to step up efforts to end the war through diplomacy, on the basis of Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

Highlighting that his country ensured the delivery of 33 million tons of grain through the Black Sea Grain Initiative on the global markets, he said the failure to implement the agreement has left the world facing a new crisis.  He expressed hope that this humanitarian bridge that extends to the countries in dire need will benefit from negotiations undertaken by Türkiye.  Turning to the situation in Syria, he said the humanitarian tragedy in that country is now marking its thirteenth year and is worsening the living conditions of everyone in the region, regardless of their origin and faith.  It is becoming increasingly important to end the crisis with a comprehensive and sustainable solution, he said, noting that the devastating impacts of the 6 February earthquake which affected 14 million people in his country was also deeply felt in Syria.

“We are sick and tired of the hypocrisy of those who are using Da’esh and similar organizations as a front to their own political and economic interests in the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel, but especially in Syria and Iraq,” he asserted, warning against terrorist organizations, paramilitary groups, mercenaries and local elements that are used as tools of proxy wars. Against this backdrop, he urged for a global governance architecture, emphasizing that “the world is bigger than five and a fairer world is possible”.  He also called for a just and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue that can no longer be realized on the basis of a federation model; expressed support to the Palestinian people; supported talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia; and voiced support for Afghanistan’s people who are in dire need of humanitarian support.