Türkiye nominates Sinirlioğlu for UN secretary-general

NEW YORK

Türkiye formally nominated Feridun Sinirlioğlu, secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), for U.N. secretary-general on Oct. 30.

Türkiye’s U.N. envoy Ahmet Yıldız told Anadolu Agency that the nomination letter had been submitted to the president of the General Assembly, accompanied by Sinirlioğlu’s résumé and vision statement.

Yıldız said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approved the nomination based on Sinirlioğlu’s qualifications, international experience and the trust he placed in the diplomat.

Türkiye put forward Sinirlioğlu to help resolve the impasse after no candidate secured consensus, Yıldız said. He added that Ankara had waited out of respect for the preference for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Sinirlioğlu served as Türkiye’s foreign minister from August to November 2015 and as its permanent representative to the United Nations from 2016 to 2023. He has led the OSCE since December 2024.

The next secretary-general will be appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. Incumbent António Guterres’s term ends on Dec. 31.