In brief
Former Turkish foreign minister Feridun Sinirlioglu, nominated by Turkey for the United Nations Secretary‑General post, said he would use the UN’s platform to keep communication lines open between parties involved in the Ukraine war. TASS reports that Sinirlioglu stresses the UN’s role as a forum for dialogue and that the present SG’s term ends on 31 December. The appointment is part of a broader race that includes nine other candidates.
On 17 July 2014, TASS reported that former Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu, nominated by Turkey for the post of Secretary‑General of the United Nations, announced his readiness to back all genuine efforts toward a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
The statement was made during an event at the UN headquarters, where Sinirlioglu emphasized that the Organization’s responsibility is to create conditions for peace and to keep communication channels open between all parties. He said the Secretary‑General’s good offices must remain available to each side with the aim of building confidence step by step.
"I would work to strengthen the UN’s role as a platform for dialogue. My aim would be to support every genuine effort toward a negotiated and just settlement to end the war in Ukraine," Sinirlioglu told the media, according to TASS. He added that, as former Secretary‑General of the OSCE, he has been dealing daily with the situation in Ukraine and considers it one of the most serious challenges facing the international community today.
The nomination came after Turkey formally put Sinirlioglu forward for the position in late October. TASS noted that the current Secretary‑General, António Guterres, will see his term end on 31 December, leaving the post open for new leadership.
Besides Sinirlioglu, a total of nine candidates are set to compete for the role. They include Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency from Argentina; Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary‑General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development from Costa Rica; Maria Fernanda Espinosa‑Garces, former Ecuadorian foreign and defence minister; Carolyn Rodrigues‑Birkett, Guyana’s current permanent representative to the UN; Ivonne Baki, former Ecuadorian ambassador to the United States and France; Olara Otunnu, former permanent representative of Uganda to the UN; and Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, a senior minister at the UAE Foreign Ministry.
TASS’s coverage highlights the diplomatic significance of the UN Secretary‑General election and the role Turkey hopes its nominee will play in shaping global responses to the Ukraine conflict. By pledging to use the UN as a forum for negotiation, Sinirlioglu positions himself as a candidate who seeks to enhance the Organization’s mediation function amid one of the twentieth‑century world’s most protracted wars.
