Turkish minister urges stronger middle-power role

“Türkiye, which fought alongside South Korea during the Korean War, will once again work closely with Seoul to help protect the international order as it faces growing challenges.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the remarks Thursday at the 143rd International Policy Forum at Korea University in Seoul’s Seongbuk District. He said the international order established after World War II is under pressure from wars and conflicts unfolding in different parts of the world and argued that capable middle powers should play a greater role in addressing those challenges. Fidan also spoke of his personal connection to South Korea, noting that his uncle was a Korean War veteran. He is visiting several Asian countries, including South Korea, ahead of next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

At the event, jointly hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Seoul, Korea University’s Graduate School of International Studies and the university’s Asiatic Research Institute, Fidan said the current international system is struggling to cope with multiple conflicts, including the war involving Iran, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the war in Ukraine. He argued that many of the international organizations, treaties, summits and cooperation mechanisms built over the past 80 years are no longer functioning as effectively as before. As a way forward, he called for greater cooperation among middle powers and stronger multilateral engagement.

Fidan also called for reform of the United Nations Security Council, which is centered on its five permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. He said middle powers in the Middle East and Asia should embrace “regional ownership” and take the lead in building peace and stability within their own regions. “No single actor, regardless of its size or resources, can handle global challenges alone anymore,” he said, calling for closer cooperation among key middle-power nations.


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