New York, September 22, 2026: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for sweeping reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including abolishing the veto power enjoyed by its five permanent members and giving the UN General Assembly a greater role in determining the council’s membership.
Erdogan argued that global decision-making mechanisms must become more effective, fair and accountable, reiterating his long-standing position that “the world is bigger than five”.
The UNSC was established in 1945 following World War II. Its five permanent members, China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, have veto power. India has repeatedly sought permanent membership of the council and called for its expansion to provide greater representation to regions including Asia, Africa and Latin America.
“The World Is Bigger Than Five”
Erdogan said the Security Council continued to reflect the international power structure that emerged after World War II and argued that representation must be broadened and leadership responsibilities shared more equitably.
He said pandemics, energy shocks, supply-chain disruptions and regional conflicts in recent years had demonstrated the limitations of leaving responses to global challenges in the hands of a small number of countries.
“We must incorporate the experience, capacity and will of different regions into efforts to address global and regional challenges. In this respect, our call that ‘The world is bigger than five’ is an invitation to embrace a broader understanding of responsibility,” he wrote.
Erdogan said simply adding more privileged permanent members would not address the concentration of decision-making power because it would merely expand the existing privileged structure.
Erdogan Calls For Abolition Of Veto Power
Erdogan said ending the veto privilege should be at the heart of Security Council reform and argued that meaningful changes should not simply extend the same privilege to additional countries.
“Reform cannot mean extending the same privilege to other states,” he said.
The Turkish President also proposed changing the balance of power between the Security Council and the General Assembly. He called for greater powers for the General Assembly and a Security Council without permanent members, with countries elected to the council by the General Assembly for fixed terms.
Countries seeking another term would have to win the support of a majority of General Assembly members through elections.
“Within the General Assembly, a broad coalition should be built around the principle that no state should have the power to permanently obstruct the will of the majority of the international community,” Erdogan wrote.
“Representation and accountability of the Security Council before the General Assembly should be enhanced,” he added.
Asia, Africa Seek Greater Representation
Erdogan said the international order could not respond to current challenges while preserving old hierarchies. He pointed to the emergence of new centres of economic, security, technological and diplomatic power and said international institutions had not adapted at the same pace.
“The developments of the last quarter century -- a relatively brief period in world history -- have demonstrated that no balance of power and no international order are permanent. The system that promised humanity peace, stability and shared prosperity has failed to prevent new wars, reduce inequalities or respond to shifting balances of power,” he noted.
Wars, the climate crisis, irregular migration and economic vulnerabilities had highlighted the importance of strong institutions, resilient economies and deterrent defence capabilities, Erdogan said. He also pointed to the increasing importance of secure and sustainable trade, logistics, transport and energy corridors.
Erdogan said Asia’s economic weight had increased, while Africa was seeking representation matching its potential and developing countries were becoming more assertive about their priorities.
“The issues facing each region cannot be resolved through methods imposed from outside. We believe that approaches grounded in the will of the countries concerned, local circumstances, and shared interests will produce more lasting and stable outcomes,” he said, calling for countries with diplomatic capacity, economic resources and the ability to communicate with different sides to take “more active roles” in promoting peace and stability.
Erdogan Flags Global Economic Inequality
Erdogan also addressed global economic inequality, saying expectations that globalisation would distribute prosperity widely had not been fully realised.
“In these changing circumstances, responsibilities must be shared equitably to ensure global justice, while developing countries’ right to development and access to the financing they need must be guaranteed. Such a change requires international will on a broad scale,” he said.
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Erdogan said Turkey would continue to use its international relationships and experience in multilateral diplomacy to support efforts to reform the global system.
“It is clear that lasting peace in today’s world cannot be built through the multiplication of disconnected blocs that fail to engage with one another. For ‘a fairer world,’ we must bring together the experience, capacity, and resolve of different regions on common ground,” he noted.
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