Turkey to Be Voice of Africa at UNSC, Says Gül
Turkey will provide complete support for African nations while it holds a seat at the UN Security Council, President Abdullah Gül pledged yesterday in the Tanzanian capital.
Gül's remarks came at a joint press conference with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete yesterday. Gül arrived in Dar es Salaam on Sunday following an official visit to Kenya. The two consecutive visits make him the first Turkish president to pay an official visit to sub-Saharan nations.
Turkey's membership in the UN Security Council started in January. It received considerable support from African countries during the elections in October for a nonpermanent seat for two years.
"The Turkish Republic will be the spokesperson of Africa at the UN. It will support Africa on all of its issues. We're departing from here with beautiful memories," said Gül, who was scheduled to depart Dar es Salaam later in the day.
"I believe that these consultations are necessary in regard to the UN Security Council. We will continue talks with Tanzania," Gül said, after noting that he and Kikwete had discussed regional issues.
Kikwete said many Africa-related issues were being discussed on international platforms, including the UN Security Council.
"Somalia now has a new president. We don't know what will happen next. We're expecting a decision on this issue from the UN Security Council," Kikwete said, urging Turkey's support as a member of the council.
Kikwete also reiterated an earlier request for Turkey to support Africa in regard to the ongoing global financial turmoil.
In a speech delivered at a dinner hosted in honor of Gül on Sunday night, Kikwete had asked Turkey to give voice to the expectations and problems faced by developing countries as a member of the Group of 20 (G-20) leading developed and developing nations.
"We consider Turkey as a country that can bring together African nations concerning ways of getting out of the crisis. It is not appropriate or fair that we are excluded from the G-20 body," Kikwete had said. "We are also influenced negatively by the crisis, at least as much as the developed countries are influenced. We deserve to have our voice heard directly," he added.
The G-20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.
Turkey will be represented by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the upcoming G-20 financial crisis summit in London, which will be held on Apr. 2. Last Friday British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said representatives from Africa and poorer Asian nations had been asked to attend the summit in London. Brown has asked the New Partnership for Africa's Development, the Association of South East Asian Nations and the African Union (AU) Commission to send delegates to the summit.
At a summit held in early February, the AU resolved to send a strong team to the G-20 summit in London to make Africa's case amid the global economic turmoil, which poses a serious threat to the people of this continent.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni then nominated three African leaders - Kikwete, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and newly elected AU chairman Muammar Gaddafi - to attend the summit.
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