Turkey

It gives me great pleasure, Sir, to congratulate you on your election to the high office of President of the General Assembly. We are happy to have a distinguished leader from a neighbouring country at the helm of the Assembly for the next 12 months. Our relations with Bulgaria are excellent, and we are very glad to have supported your candidacy. The forty-sixth session of the General Assembly was remarkable and eventful in a number of ways. Ambassador Samir Shihabi, the President at the last session, deserves a special tribute for his distinctive contribution to the efforts to enhance the stature of this universal forum. The competence and wisdom he displayed in guiding our work have justified the confidence we placed in him. We are fortunate that, in the person of Mr. Boutros-Ghali, the United Nations has found the experience and wisdom to which it can entrust itself for guidance to success. My Government is confident that this distinguished statesman from Africa, who is the product of the ancient and glorious civilization of Egypt, will provide the right mix of continuity and change in the renewal and restructuring of this world body. We wish our new Secretary-General success, and pledge him our support. My delegation welcomes and salutes the 13 new Members of our Organization. We take special pride in the fact that Turkey enjoys ties of kinship, language and culture with some of them. They will surely enrich and strengthen our global family. In the past few years we have witnessed one of the great turning-points of history. The cold war has come to an end. The international landscape, characterized for so long by ideological confrontation and nuclear stalemate, has undergone a fundamental change. The bitter East-West rivalries that dominated every aspect of international affairs are finally behind us. These momentous developments have made it possible to settle a number of conflicts which were a direct result of the cold war. From Africa to Asia to Latin America, people have been able to lay aside ideological disputes and get on with the business of reconciliation and peacemaking. The United Nations may rightly take pride for having played an important part in bringing together former ideological adversaries and brokering agreements. It has demonstrated how effective it can be by playing a leading role in the liberation of Kuwait, showing that it can function as its founders intended nearly half a century ago. We were at last able to look forward to a world liberated from the awful threat of nuclear destruction, with nations enjoying the fruits of commerce and industry in peace, security, freedom and democracy. However, it now appears that we were all perhaps carried too far by the new wave of optimism. From the Balkans and the Black Sea basin to the Transcaucasus, and from Afghanistan to Somalia, there have emerged new conflicts pitting nations and ethnic communities against one another. Now peace and security are threatened by destruction and economic ruin, compounded by the horrors of "ethnic cleansing" and mass starvation. The most severe challenge to the new order has been posed by the series of crises engulfing the former Yugoslavia. The international reaction to the sinister designs of the former Yugoslav army in Croatia last year was not forceful enough to deter the aggressors at that time. Today the bitter consequences of our inadequate response are being harvested throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated in defiance of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. While the international community has condemned Serbian aggression and the abhorrent practice of "ethnic cleansing" and demanded an immediate end to all violations of international humanitarian law, the suffering in Bosnia and Herzegovina goes on. People are still getting killed. Mandatory resolutions of the Security Council are yet to be fully implemented. Hundreds of thousands of Bosnian refugees face an uncertain future away from their homes. Those surviving in the ruins of once-flourishing cities and towns are threatened by starvation and disease. As winter approaches, the need to provide security and shelter to the population becomes ever more pressing. I have myself had a chance to glimpse the suffering in Sarajevo. In addition to our international responsibility and obligations as a member of the world community, the historical and cultural bonds which my country shares with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the presence in Turkey of a large number of citizens of Bosnian descent place us in a special relationship to the fate of this country. At a time when Bosnia and Herzegovina are being carved up by the aggressors, priority has been given to the provision of humanitarian assistance. Therefore, while supporting other efforts to reach a peaceful settlement, we have also put forward an action plan that consists of a set of concrete and effective measures designed to stop the fighting in that country. We fear that further continuation of the Bosnian conflict could lead to greater dangers. We remain prepared to assist any concerted international action to bring about an end to the Bosnian tragedy. On Iraq, we remain concerned two years after the Gulf crisis. Baghdad has yet to demonstrate that it truly wishes to take its rightful place in the international community. The Iraqi Government should comply fully with the relevant Security Council resolutions. My Government will be the first to welcome a return to normality and the restoration of normal relations between Iraq and its neighbours. From this rostrum Turkey has on many occasions expressed its consistent stand on the question of Palestine. Today, I wish to reaffirm our support for the negotiating process on the Middle East conflict launched in Madrid in October 1991. This is a very important opportunity for peace, and we call on all the parties to seize it to arrive at a comprehensive and lasting settlement on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). As a neighbouring country, Turkey follows very closely the developments in the Caucasus. In this region, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a source of deep concern for us because of its implications for peace and security in the whole area. Turkey holds the view that in this region there can be no place for adventurism and reckless behaviour. Armenia should disengage from Nagorno-Karabakh and withdraw its forces from Azerbaijani territories. We urge the parties to achieve a negotiated political solution on the basis of respect for the inviolability of international borders, for minority rights and for the principles of the United Nations Charter and relevant Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) obligations and commitments. We shall continue to work for peace in this region. In the same spirit, we look forward to further progress in establishing democracy and restoring peaceful conditions in our neighbour and friend, Georgia. In Afghanistan, we had hoped that all would put aside their differences and start the process of reconciliation. However, we have been greatly dismayed by the recent eruption of fighting in Kabul. Turkey calls on all sides in Afghanistan to put an end to this fratricide and to start working for peace, so that the reconstruction and rehabilitation of this devastated country may begin and millions of Afghan refugees may finally return to their homes. In South Africa, we fully support the democratization process, which should lead to a complete dismantling of apartheid and to the creation of a new non-racial society in that country, based on due respect for the human rights of all South Africans. The search for a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus question continues. The proximity talks which started on 18 June within the framework of the Secretary-General's good offices mission have registered some progress and resulted in the beginning of face-to-face talks between the leaders of the two communities. This positive turn in the negotiating process has been achieved in great part owing to the constructive contribution of President Denktas. However, much remains to be done before we can reach our objective. It is our sincere hope that prior to the resumption of the direct talks on 26 October between the leaders of the two communities, sufficient ground will be covered so that an early completion of the work on the set of ideas will be possible. Once that stage is reached, Turkey stands ready to participate in the four-party conference to conclude an overall framework agreement. We are gratified to note that in our day democratic pluralism, the rule of law, free and fair elections and respect for human rights have finally become the universally accepted attributes of a modern State. The best guarantee of respect for human rights is the existence of a democratic form of government. In other words, democracy and human rights are inseparable. We welcome the progress of democracy in all regions of the world. We expect the United Nations to play a more active role in the strengthening of democratic institutions. We regard the ever-growing number of requests being received at the United Nations to assist in the holding of elections as a very encouraging development. In the field of human rights, no country can claim to have attained perfection. All countries experience violations of human rights, and all must, whatever their records may be, strive to improve their performance in this area. In Turkey our human-rights legislation and practices are kept under constant review in order to eliminate abuses and rectify shortcomings. As a party to all of the European instruments and control mechanisms aimed at protecting human rights, as well as to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, our objective is to guarantee everyone the fullest enjoyment of human rights and to prevent any violations or malpractices. We have made important strides in Turkey, and we are resolved to maintain this course. On a broader plane, we are concerned with the growing incidence of xenophobia and new forms of racism that increasingly threaten the very existence of migrant communities in Europe. Turkey is directly affected by this negation of human values, since there are more than 2 million Turkish citizens living in European countries, either as migrant workers or as their dependents. Like all individuals, these people too are entitled to enjoy security of person and protection by the State against random violence, threats or intimidation. We urge the host countries to ensure the protection of these individuals, to see to it that their human rights are duly respected, and effectively to prevent and punish violence and racist crimes against them. All manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination must be curbed if tolerance and mutual understanding are to put down deep and lasting roots. Non-governmental organizations should spend more time and energy in monitoring violations of the human rights of migrant communities. My delegation would like to draw the attention of the General Assembly to the widespread phenomenon of subversive violence carried out by terrorist groups. Such violence constitutes a most serious infringement of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the basic right to life. It aims at nothing less than the destruction of democracy. This is a crucial fact which we must never forget. We think the time has come for the relevant United Nations bodies, the Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights, and the non-governmental organizations to address this question of terrorist violence as a matter of priority. Having experienced rapid social change and urbanization, Turkey today seeks to improve the quality of life of its population, to ensure equal advancement opportunities for all and to promote both individual initiative and community solidarity. We are focusing on protecting vulnerable groups so that they can play a productive role in society. In other words, Turkey strives to achieve economic growth with a human and social dimension. My Government believes that social problems affecting the international community will be increasingly difficult and costly to overcome if concerted action is not taken promptly. Turkey attaches great importance to international efforts directed at easing social problems and tensions and supports the convening of a world summit for social development. The Government of Chile should be commended for its imaginative initiative in this direction. I should now like to turn to international economic issues. The political developments in Eastern Europe and in the former Soviet Union, the aftermath of the Gulf crisis and the protracted recession in the industrialized countries have had negative effects on the world economy. The World Economic Survey reports that for the first time since the First World War the global economy has lot grown. The events of the past year have continued to obstruct and render fruitless the efforts of the developing countries to restructure their economies. With the economic policies of all countries converging as never before, the time has come to launch a concerted effort to create an international economic environment more congenial to growth and sustained development. Countries with economies in transition are continuing their efforts to ensure integration into the world economy. The major difficulties of the developing countries are well known. We regret that the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations has not yet been concluded. This raises fears of protectionism. Since trade is a major vehicle for developing countries to break free of the burden of foreign debt and pursue their development efforts, the necessary political will must be displayed for these negotiations to be concluded successfully. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was a major step towards broadening the scope of economic development in a sustainable manner. The Conference accelerated the universal push towards global sustainable development. Turkey believes that this momentum is now irreversible. We must look beyond the Conference and devise policies that would help to perpetuate and strengthen this momentum. Turkey holds the view that a good way to work towards the objectives of peace, political and social stability as well as economic development is through regional cooperation. The political changes of the past few years have broadened the opportunities for such cooperation. In full awareness of this promising trend, Turkey has taken the initiative of launching a comprehensive scheme for expanded cooperation between the countries of the Black Sea region. The aim of this regional cooperation is to ensure that the Black Sea becomes an area of peace, stability and prosperity in which regional cooperation can be used as a tool to accelerate the integration of the participating States into the global economy. At the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council last July, there was a focused discussion on restructuring the economic system of the United Nations. The economic and social structure of the United Nations needs to be developed in a way that will enable it better to respond to the growing challenges of our changing world. With the addition of new Members, the question of the distribution of seats in United Nations bodies to geographical regions comes up for consideration. It would be desirable also to consider whether the current geographical groupings conform to our present-day needs. We know that the artificial division of Europe between East and West in the United Nations is the result of ideological differences which have ceased to exist. The question of merging the Group of Western European and Other States with the Eastern European Group should be given active consideration. The challenges before the United Nations are as great as ever. Despite the ending of the cold war, conflicts rage on in many parts of the world and threaten to proliferate. Economic problems persist, made worse by a recession which will not go away. The humanitarian problems confronting the international community have never been more daunting. There continue to be massive violations of human rights in many parts of the world, while the environment raises problems which we must solve if we are to survive on this planet. Great as these challenges are, we have in the United Nations a comprehensive framework within which we can operate and address mankind's problems. The end of ideological conflicts makes this possible. The restructuring carried out in the Secretariat under the leadership of our newly elected Secretary-General is a good beginning in strengthening our newly elected Secretary-General is a good beginning in strengthening our Organization. There is a new spirit in the Security Council and in the Economic and Social Council. The General Assembly has never been more representative. The report of the Secretary-General entitled "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277) provides, in a timely manner, the intellectual foundation for our future activities. The United Nations must not only set the tone and provide political guidance to regional organizations in their efforts to secure peace, but must also be prepared to assume its leadership role. It must not fail to live up to its responsibilities under the Charter. The conditions are right for the great challenges to be met successfully. For the United Nations to pass the test, everything depends on the Members who must act in concert and with courage. My delegation undertakes to work with other delegations in a spirit of cooperation and compromise so that our Organization may live up to its high promise and serve mankind at this crucial time.