Turkey

At the outset, I wish to congratulate Ambassador Insanally on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly. The fact that he was selected to guide our deliberations signifies the confidence that Member States have in his well-known professional qualities. I am sure that, under his guidance, the present session of the Assembly will tackle the issues on its agenda with courage and realism. I would also like to place on record our appreciation for the competence and wisdom of his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Stoyan Ganev, and for his outstanding performance in steering the work of the General Assembly during an eventful year. My delegation takes joyful pride in welcoming Andorra, the Czech Republic, Eritrea, Macedonia, Monaco and the Slovak Republic to the family of nations. We believe that their admission represents yet another milestone in further consolidating the universality of this Organization. There is no doubt that our community will be enriched and strengthened by their contribution to the realization of the ideals of the United Nations. The excitement and hopefulness of 1989 already seem to be part of a distant past. We both welcomed and were unprepared for the events that marked the dramatic end of the cold war. They generated a tidal wave of optimism about the future of international relations. Fervent talk about a rapidly changing world was the order of the day when we entered the present decade. Little was done, however, to determine and shape the dynamics and scope of the change. It was more or less taken for granted that this change would turn out to be for the better. That did not prove to be the case. Accordingly, the creation of a new, desirable international system continues to top the political agenda as the most challenging task of our times. The past 12 months have demonstrated yet again that the new world in the making might at times be as dangerous as the old, if not worse in certain respects. Nevertheless, we should resist the impulse to indulge in a dark pessimism for which there can be no legitimate cause. The crucial phase of history we are going through calls for reflection and positive action, not a defeatist mood. The international community should not stand by in desperation and watch conditions deteriorate. It must display the will to redirect the course of history towards our expectations. There definitely exists a political space for constructive initiatives and a basis for cooperative action to that end. It is the United Nations which defines and guards that political space. Indeed, the United Nations is the foremost symbol of modern internationalism. In these turbulent post- cold-war years, hardly a day passes without the Organization Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 35 being called upon to take the lead on some important task. These tasks include missions for preserving or restoring peace and security, the upholding of the rule of law, and missions to ensure the survival of mankind, to help save the environment, to combat social scourges and to rescue the so- called failing societies. Since the cold war drew to a close and the conflicts of the transition era rose to the fore, United Nations peace-keeping operations have undergone considerable expansion in terms of their functions, size, geographical area and degree of complexity. This process has occurred in tandem with the rapid evolution of the international landscape. The same background conditions have prompted the emergence of preventive diplomacy, peace- enforcement and peace-building as new concepts awaiting urgent translation into practical and mutually supportive instruments at the disposal of the international community. Turkey’s response to this urgency is reflected in our contribution to peace-keeping operations As highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report entitled "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), effectively managing of the crises currently confronting us and responding adequately to the challenges ahead call for the elaboration of a shared vision for the future of our Organization. In this connection, the focus of priority attention should be the Security Council. Today, the prestige and credibility of the United Nations depend more than ever on the effectiveness of that principal body. There is a widespread call for the Security Council to become more responsive to the needs of the current international scene. This can be made possible only by making the Council more representative of the new geopolitical realities. In other words, the post-cold-war environment requires a fresh approach towards the Council’s renovation and restructuring. Hence, the discussion on the twin themes of equitable representation and membership enlargement is very timely. Turkey firmly believes that enlarging the Security Council membership would enhance its effectiveness. Enlargement should not be conceived of only as an increase in the number of members, but should also envisage the creation of a new category of seats to be held by States that could be qualified as semi-permanent members. Semi-permanent membership in the Council could rotate among a specific number of States designated according to certain objective criteria: population; geopolitical posture; economic potential; record of contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security; and equitable geographical distribution. Since Turkey fully meets these criteria, it considers itself qualified as a candidate for that new category of membership. A Security Council more responsive, representative, transparent and accountable is a requirement inherent in the spirit of Article 24 of the Charter. Hence, the democratization of its structure would ensure more active participation in the Council’s work. The moral ground for the full implementation of the Council’s resolutions would thereby be strengthened. Few, if any, would contest the fact that it was the tragedy of Bosnia and Herzegovina that dispelled the euphoria prevalent during the earlier period of the post- cold-war era. Genocide and "ethnic cleansing" were the hallmarks of the tragedy. They were conducted with impunity. We could neither halt, nor roll back the Serbian aggression. Nor could we alleviate, in earnest the suffering of the survivors. The example of a civic State, embracing all its citizens as equals, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religion, was given to us in Bosnia where a mature multicultural civilization had evolved over many centuries. No lament over its destruction at the hands of ethnic chauvinism could be exaggerated. Moreover, denying the Bosnians the means for their legitimate self-defence amounts to a failure in due support for democracy against tyranny. A most serious blow has been dealt to the moral essence of international law and to the contemporary principles of conduct among nations. Any document endorsing the consequences of expansionism, genocide and "ethnic cleansing" cannot usher in real peace. No peace throughout history has been lasting when based on rewarding injustice, aggression and racism. We cannot relieve our conscience by fabricating realpolitik excuses for our inaction and silence. Appeasement is no policy, but partnership in wrongdoing. The stakes in Bosnia are much higher than those related to the survival of the Bosnian State and its people. They include the validity of our hope to do away with ethnic and religious warfare in the future. The betrayal of Bosnia as a multicultural, multi-ethnic State, invalidates this hope - and with it the fundamental principles of our Organization. If we allow dictatorship and adventurism to get away with the crimes they have committed in Bosnia, the post-cold-war disorder may worsen. Continued denial of the right of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to defend itself aggravates the responsibility of the international community for what is happening there. Should Bosnia and Herzegovina disintegrate, not only the Balkans and Europe, 36 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session but the whole world, will eventually suffer the bitter after-effects. Turkey will continue to pursue actively the course of justice and legitimacy to support the brave people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their struggle for survival and democracy. The sinister success of Serbian expansionism in Bosnia has emboldened aggressors elsewhere. A tragedy of similar proportions is occurring in the Caucasus, where Armenians have occupied a fifth of Azerbaijani territory. Peace and stability in a sensitive region neighbouring Turkey has been seriously undermined. Security Council resolutions 822 (1993) and 853 (1993), calling for the immediate, unconditional and complete withdrawal of the occupation forces, are being ignored. It should be borne in mind that short-term military opportunism is not compatible with long-term interests. Moreover, it is fraught with unpredictable dangers. Neither in the Balkans nor in the Caucasus - nor, for that matter, anywhere else - will Turkey ever accept the acquisition of territory by force. Unless such gross violations of international law are prevented and the principles of the United Nations Charter vigorously upheld, the present turmoil and confusion cannot be replaced by a just and peaceful order. It is with these thoughts in mind that Turkey strongly endorses the observations made by the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, in his statement on 30 August last, at the sixty-sixth session of the Institute of International Law in Milan. There he appropriately referred to ultra- nationalism and micro-nationalism as two of the greatest dangers menacing today’s international society. He underlined that, by strengthening the nation State as the main subject of international law, multilateralism preserves the world community from these two great perils. His admonition that "Ultra-nationalism today may still be a temptation, at times, for a number of major Powers nostalgic for the period of hegemony" is of particular relevance at this juncture of post-cold-war developments. Indeed, the darkening shadows of ultra-nationalism and micro-nationalism, ethnic chauvinism and neo-racism have loomed like phantoms behind the scenes in the crises that have erupted during the last two years. The international community has to cure itself of these diseases. We should not let irredentist, hegemonic tendencies plague our future. The newly emerging geopolitical pluralism of Eurasia has to be kept alive with a moral commitment to the quest for global democratic interdependence. Most of the threats to international peace in our time are bred in climates of intolerance. We have to develop a new mind-set for the recognition and acknowledgment of other peoples’ right to be different. We have to enlarge our capacity for give and take. Tolerance is the foundation of civil society. To build a just and peaceful world order, such societies must proliferate. To that end, we need to promote a culture of tolerance all over the world. In this spirit, and as a follow-up to resolution 47/124, Turkey will submit during the current session a draft resolution proposing the proclamation of 1995 as the United Nations Year for Tolerance. Adoption of that draft resolution would help to accelerate the pace of the efforts made in the struggle against all forms of fanaticism, fundamentalism, discrimination and persecution. Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 37 Tolerance and social development are correlated concepts. Accordingly, my Government attaches great importance to concerted action at the global level aimed at solving social problems and easing the tensions they cause. Hence, we are amply satisfied that the Chilean initiative for the convening in March 1995 of a World Summit for Social Development has borne fruit. Turkey will prepare for this Summit in earnest, and looks forward to contributing to its success. In this connection, Turkey welcomes the Secretary- General’s latest report on the work of the organization, in which he courageously addresses the gravity of the situation stemming from the difficulty in raising funds for development aid experienced since the end of the cold war. He accurately observes that the poorer countries no longer hold the same interest for the rich as they did in the previous decades of ideological competition. My Government believes that activities for development are just as important as peace-keeping operations. Indeed, it is those activities, including their humanitarian assistance dimension, which provide the foundations for global peace and security. Turkey, stretching its budgetary means to the utmost, continues to be increasingly active as a donor and contributor in the fields of economic and humanitarian support and solidarity. Since the beginning of 1992 we have implemented an economic assistance package amounting to $2,893 million. The package includes technical assistance, project financing, training grants and soft loans, made available to 32 countries in four continents. We are firmly committed to continuing our efforts in this domain. To increase efficiency in terms of coordination, we have set up the Turkish International Cooperation Agency. Over the same period 28 countries in three continents, stricken by natural and/or man-made disasters, have received humanitarian aid worth a total of $213 million from Turkey, in cash or in kind, as well as various forms of relief and accommodation for refugees. Offering as they do a gloomy general picture, the past 12 months are nevertheless not totally bereft of reasons for optimism, which include: the processes culminating in the restoration of democracy in Haiti and Cambodia; the positive developments leading towards the building of a democratic, united, free and non-racial South Africa; and the peaceful evolution of Eritrea to independence. A new diplomacy for democracy seems to be making headway. All of us must bring our full energies to bear on this phenomenon so that it may gain momentum. That momentum, in its turn, will give impetus to the consolidation of peace, because democracies seldom fight each other. The only way to advance towards democracy is progressive and sustained democratization. The distance covered in this process is measured by the degree of respect for human rights and the rule of law. The convening of the World Conference on Human Rights earlier this year enabled the international community to identify clearly the indispensable common denominators needed in the building of pluralistic civil societies. The Conference re-emphasized the importance of the global task of promoting and protecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and confirmed the commitment of the international community to securing the full and universal enjoyment of those rights through increased and sustained international cooperation and solidarity. The Vienna Declaration includes a comprehensive definition of terrorism as any activity aiming at the destruction of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, threatening the territorial integrity of States and destabilizing legitimately constituted Governments. We strongly endorse the call by the Conference to continue taking the necessary steps to prevent and combat terrorism. The historic breakthrough achieved in the Middle East peace process holds the promise of concord and cooperation not only between the Palestinians, Israel and their Arab neighbours, but on a much wider regional scale. Its positive ripple effects may set in motion multi-dimensional dynamics that could transform an entire area, stretching from the Atlantic to the Gulf and from the eastern Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, into one of harmony, dialogue and co-prosperity. As a country that neighbours the Middle East, has a record of constructive involvement in the region’s affairs and good traditional ties with all the parties to this dispute, Turkey hails with the utmost satisfaction this momentous shift from enmity towards reconciliation. The momentum so gained should be fully utilized. Irreversibility of the process is not enough; the process must advance at an accelerated pace towards the ultimate objectives defined in Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). The wise, far-sighted and courageous architects who designed this blueprint for rebuilding amity and peace in the Middle East may, as ever, rest assured of Turkey’s firm 38 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session support for and contribution to their mission. We are committed to assisting their endeavours in every way. Three years after the outbreak of the Gulf crisis the people of Iraq are still subjected to hardship. This regrettable situation results from the Baghdad Government’s reluctance to comply fully with the requirements of the Security Council resolutions relating to the Gulf War settlement. Compliance would tangibly demonstrate Iraq’s interest in resuming its place in the international community. However, we cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the people of Iraq. My Government firmly believes that the international community must urgently consider imaginative ways to break this vicious circle. Turkey has been forthcoming in providing Iraq with humanitarian assistance since 1991. By the same token, we have decided to launch a new humanitarian assistance programme worth $13.5 million aimed at the entire needy population of northern Iraq. Our approach is without prejudice to Iraq’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Along with the Iraqi people, a number of countries, particularly Iraq’s neighbours, are also exposed to the adverse effects of the continued economic sanctions. The international community should also devise a set of measures aimed at redressing their mounting losses. My Government is concerned over the worsening situation in Jammu and Kashmir. We wish to see the dispute between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir issue resolved through the resumption of sustained dialogue. To that end, Turkey will continue to support Pakistan’s endeavours in pursuit of a negotiated settlement of this long-standing problem. As to Cyprus, it is certainly not my intention to indulge in a consideration of the past. I am quite aware that this is not the time, not would it be profitable, to enter into recriminations over history. What is important is to understand the issue correctly while acknowledging the facts underlying the present problems and the profound mistrust between the two communities. We must take careful account of those problems and the present difficulties, but we must build for the future. Today the Cyprus question has reached a stage where the common desire and purpose of the international community is to promote an early and comprehensive solution. To that end, the Secretary-General continues his mission of good offices. As ever, Turkey supports the Secretary-General’s efforts aimed at bringing about a freely negotiated, just and viable settlement. No doubt the realization of that objective requires a display of goodwill, understanding and patience by both negotiating partners in the island. Moreover, it also calls for a carefully balanced and determined approach in order to heal the profound mistrust driving the parties apart. It is with such considerations that Turkey has endorsed the concept of confidence-building measures, the scope and contents of which must be acceptable to both communities. Whatever the reasons that may still divide the two sides, the negotiating process must continue. It is high time for all concerned to display realism and act with vision in search of a negotiated, durable solution. At present a campaign is under way for early general elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. We earnestly hope that once the elections are over the Turkish Cypriot side will again be able to continue to play its constructive role in the negotiating process. Turkey lies at the very epicentre of several regions making up the most turbulent part of the Northern hemisphere. We are actively engaged in the post-cold-war search for new approaches to build peace through multilateral action. Our objective is to reinforce the international security system. Only the United Nations can provide legitimacy to regional arrangements and institutions should the latter decide to act in the fields of militarily backed preventive diplomacy, peace-keeping and peace enforcement. All three of those categories of action are in demand on Turkey’s periphery. My Government deploys all of its available assets to help defuse and resolve these crises. We strive to create and consolidate interlinked areas of solidarity and processes of cooperation. In that effort we proceed from two basic tenets. First, we believe that the evolution of the international environment towards a better future is not only desirable but, in certain conditions, also possible. Secondly, we are of the opinion that such a future may materialize only through the reinforcement of respect for the rule of law along with the universal observance and implementation of the principles of democracy and tolerance. The United Nations was created to preserve peace. However, it cannot be expected to help resolve the collective security problems of our times unless its Member States are willing and prepared to assume their responsibilities as Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 39 upholders and enforcers of the United Nations Charter and the contemporary norms of international behaviour. With the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Organization to be celebrated in two years’ time, all of us here must admit that the main objective defined in the Charter, namely, "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war," has not yet been achieved. In the strengthening of peace and security our immediate task is fully to mobilize the potential of the United Nations for resolving regional and local conflicts, which have proliferated since the end of the cold war. For the future well-being of all nations, it is high time to act with the vision and forbearance that peace requires. Turkey stands committed to continue making its own contribution to attaining that objective.