Erdoğan Calls for Abolition of UN Security Council Veto

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for the abolition of the United Nations Security Council's veto power and an end to permanent membership, arguing that the body's structure no longer reflects the realities of the modern world. Erdoğan made the case in an opinion piece published by Bloomberg on September 22, 2026, ahead of the 81st UN General Assembly session in New York. He argued that recent global crises, including pandemics, energy shocks, supply-chain disruptions and regional conflicts, have shown that leaving the resolution of global crises to a handful of capitals is no longer compatible with today's world. Rather than adding new permanent members, Erdoğan proposed abolishing permanent membership altogether. Under his model, all Security Council members would be elected by the General Assembly on rotating basis for fixed terms, with countries seeking another term required to win majority support again. He argued that adding new privileged members would not resolve the concentration of decision-making power but would instead expand the scope of the privileged structure.