"World Is Bigger Than 5": After India, Turkey Calls For UN Security Council Reforms

UNSC was established in 1945, in the aftermath of World War II. Since then, its permanent membership has remained unchanged, holding the five permanent seats, each with veto power, commanding disproportionate influence.

22 Sep 2026, 09:40 · NDTV

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Turkey joins India in calling for comprehensive UNSC reform including veto removal
Erdogan advocates expanding UNSC to reflect modern global realities and broader representation
He proposes abolishing veto power and enhancing General Assembly’s role in decision-making

What happens if P5 nations block these reform efforts?
Ankara:

After India, Turkey has also called for comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including the removal of the veto power held by its five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In an op-ed for Bloomberg titled "The UN Should Abolish the Security Council Veto," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that "the world is bigger than five" and that global decision-making mechanisms must adapt to be "more effective, fair, and accountable."

UNSC was established in 1945, in the aftermath of World War II. Since then, its permanent membership has remained unchanged, holding the five permanent seats, each with veto power, commanding disproportionate influence. India has repeatedly called for a permanent seat in the UNSC while also bidding for its expansion to make the body more representative of today's world, with greater participation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

'Need For Reform'

Erdogan stressed that the UNSC continues to reflect the structure of the post-World War II era and argued that the international system must better reflect today's global realities by broadening representation and sharing leadership responsibility equitably.

He noted that recent global crises, including pandemics, energy shocks, and supply chain disruptions due to regional conflicts, have exposed the limits of leaving solutions to global challenges to the decisions of a handful of countries.

"The World Is Bigger Than Five"

"We must incorporate the experience, capacity and will of different regions into efforts to address global and regional challenges. In this respect, our call that "The world is bigger than five" is an invitation to embrace a broader understanding of responsibility," he wrote.

The Turkish president has long called for reforms to the global agency, often using the slogan: "The world is bigger than five," which refers to the UNSC's unrepresentative membership.

Calling for the addition of new privileged members to the Security Council, Erdogan said it is now imperative to translate the need for reform into a concrete roadmap. He said the move would not resolve the problem of decision-making power being concentrated in the hands of a few states; rather, it would expand the scope of the privileged structure.

'Abolish Veto Power'

He also called for the abolition of veto privilege. He said the act should be both the starting point and the fundamental strategic objective of any meaningful reform. "Reform cannot mean extending the same privilege to other states," he said.

'Greater Role For General Assembly'

The Turkish leader also called for a new balance between the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. He proposed enhancing the powers of the General Assembly and creating a Security Council without permanent members, with council members elected by the General Assembly for fixed terms.

Under the approach outlined by the president, member states seeking another term as UNSC members would have to regain the confidence of a majority of the General Assembly through elections.

"Within the General Assembly, a broad coalition should be built around the principle that no state should have the power to permanently obstruct the will of the majority of the international community," he wrote.

"Representation and accountability of the Security Council before the General Assembly should be enhanced," he added.

New International Order

Erdogan also argued the international order of the future could not be built by preserving the hierarchies of the past.

"The developments of the last quarter century -- a relatively brief period in world history -- have demonstrated that no balance of power and no international order are permanent. The system that promised humanity peace, stability and shared prosperity has failed to prevent new wars, reduce inequalities or respond to shifting balances of power," he noted.

He noted that new centres of power have emerged across fields ranging from the economy and security to technology and diplomacy, while international institutions have failed to adapt to this transformation at the same pace.

Wars, the climate crisis, irregular migration, and economic vulnerabilities have once again underscored the importance of states having strong institutions, resilient economies, and deterrent defence capabilities. The security and sustainability of trade, logistics, transport, and energy corridors have become increasingly decisive, he added.

'Asia and Africa Need a Seat at the Table'

The president noted that Asia's economic weight has grown while Africa is also calling for stronger representation commensurate with its potential, with developing countries voicing their own priorities more assertively.

He said the growing influence of certain regional actors has brought greater responsibility to address challenges within their own regions.

"The issues facing each region cannot be resolved through methods imposed from outside. We believe that approaches grounded in the will of the countries concerned, local circumstances, and shared interests will produce more lasting and stable outcomes," he said, calling for nations with the diplomatic capacity, economic resources, and ability to communicate with different sides to assume "more active roles" in promoting peace and stability.

Failures of Globalisation

Erdogan also addressed economic inequalities across the globe, saying expectations that globalisation would broadly distribute prosperity had not been fully met.

"In these changing circumstances, responsibilities must be shared equitably to ensure global justice, while developing countries' right to development and access to the financing they need must be guaranteed. Such a change requires international will on a broad scale," he said.

Erdogan added that Turkey will continue using its international relations and experience in multilateral diplomacy to support efforts to reform the global power system.

"It is clear that lasting peace in today's world cannot be built through the multiplication of disconnected blocs that fail to engage with one another. For "a fairer world," we must bring together the experience, capacity, and resolve of different regions on common ground," he noted.

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