On 1 Nov 2026, Turkey announced the formal nomination of Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu for the position of the U.N.’s new Secretary‑General, saying the move was intended to break the long‑standing deadlock in the selection process.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Turkish bid was a diplomatic effort to restore momentum after Latin‑American candidates had stalled the proceedings, and that it "aims to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming the impasse." This claim is reported only by Anadolu.
Our goal is to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming the impasse.
Fidan said the selection process had been underway for about a year and involved several Latin‑American candidates in line with the informal geographical rotation usually applied. He added that the process had reached a stalemate and that Turkey respected the expectation that Latin America should produce the next secretary‑general.
In a letter dated Friday, Turkey’s UN ambassador Ahmet Yıldız transmitted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s nomination letter to the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council. Ankara has formally submitted its own candidate after voting involving the United Arab Emirates candidate Lana Nusseibeh, Fidan said.
Feridun Sinirlioglu, the current secretary‑general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is an experienced career diplomat with extensive international experience, according to Turkish officials.
