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Summary Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan called Saturday for reform to the UN Security Council.
If we must wait for one or two permanent members, then Syrias fate is really in great danger, Erdogan told a conference in Istanbul.Moscow and Beijing, as two of the five permanent members of the Security Council, have so far blocked three draft resolutions backed by Western and Arab countries, accusing them of interference in Syrian affairs.Its time to change the structure of international institutions, starting with the UN Security Council, Erdogan said, calling for wider, fairer and more effective representation.By failing to implement an effective policy towards events in Syria, the Security Council is rapidly losing its legitimacy in the eyes of the oppressed elsewhere in the world, he charged.He said reform of the council should take into account the growing strength of countries including Turkey, Brazil, India and Indonesia, adding: The West is no longer the only centre of the world.Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had separate talks with Arab League chief Nabil El-Arabi on the Syria crisis and the latest developments on the border between the two countries where five Turks were killed by Syrian shelling on October 3, Anatolia news agency said.With rebel fighters in control of large swathes of Syrias border area, there have been a series of incidents of cross-border fire this month that have sparked retaliatory shelling by NATO member Turkey and heightened UN concern about the potential for escalation.Davutoglu and Arabi also discussed the Syrian opposition which Ankara supports and the interception Wednesday by Turkish fighter aircraft of a Syrian passenger jet which Erdogan said carried an illegal consignment of munitions and Russian military equipment.On Saturday Turkeys leaders were also to meet international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.During his visit to Istanbul Westerwelle had talks with the leader of the main Syrian opposition alliance, the Syrian National Council, Abdel Basset Sayda.Turkish diplomats said that Brahimi, who has been tasked by the Arab League and United Nations with finding a solution to the Syria crisis, would discuss all aspects of the 19-month conflict with Davutoglu and Turkish President Abdullah Gul.Separately, Erdogan also met Tunisias Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem and the leader of one of Libyas largest political parties, the National Forces Alliance.
