Hürriyet, Turkey
Jan 2 2009

Tough UN mandate underway for Turkey

ANKARA – Turkey’s two-year mandate on the United Nations Security
Council officially commenced yesterday, in what is seen as a test of
Turkish diplomacy as Turkey is seeking to become a global player.

Turkey’s last seat as non-permanent member of the Security Council
was in 1961. Turkey will become the member of the European group, with
Austria and the two permanent members, France and Britain. It will
also take the council’s presidency for one month in June. Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan will spend most of his time in New York during
this period according to diplomats.

Uncertainty over envoy
The first meeting of the Security Council is expected to be held
Jan. 5, when Turkey’s permanent representative, Baki Ä°lkin,
will take the seat. However, there is still uncertainty over
Ä°lkin’s position in the council as he was actually retired from
the diplomatic service due to the age limitation. Thanks to a
presidential decree appointing Ä°lkin as the president’s chief
foreign policy adviser he kept his post in New York but caused unease
within the Foreign Ministry. According to some diplomats, Ä°lkin
has no representative authority, as the Foreign Ministry regulation
does not allow retired diplomats to talk on behalf of the state.

It is uncertain whether Ä°lkin will continue his task in the
United Nations during the two-year term or will be replaced by another
diplomat.

The first issue that the council will discuss is Israeli’s offensive
in Gaza, which has already claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent
people.

Turkey has already initiated an intense diplomatic campaign to
persuade Israel to halt its attacks and allow humanitarian aid to
Palestinians. The campaign will continue on within the Security
Council as well.

For many diplomats, this two-year term will constitute a test for
Turkey, which seeks to be a regional and global player. On issues such
as Iraq, Iran and its nuclear program, the Middle East conflict, the
Russia-Georgia dispute, the Nagorno Karabagh problem, the Cyprus
question and the disputes with Greece over the Aegean, Turkey faces
some difficult foreign policy decisions.