"Turkey pressing for UN Security Council seat
11:23 Saturday September 23rd 2006
Turkey's foreign minister Abdullah Gul has pressed for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, saying it was ``long overdue'' and warranted given his country's front-line role in securing peace in Lebanon.
It is a position likely to be disputed by long-time rival Greece and Cyprus, where Turkey still maintains thousands of occupation troops to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority in a breakaway statelet recognised by no other nation.
``From the very start, Turkey has followed an active diplomacy, and took its place at the forefront of the international efforts to end the bloodshed,'' Gul said. ``We believe that, in the spirit of equitable rotation, our turn to be represented is long overdue.''"
Turkey pressing for UN Security Council seat - Irish Independent
