In brief
Turkey has formally nominated OSCE Secretary‑General Feridun Sinirlioglu as its candidate for the upcoming United Nations Secretary‑General election, following an inconclusive straw poll in the Security Council. The nomination was transmitted by Turkey’s UN envoy on behalf of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Sinirlioglu joins a list of eight other nominees and faces a voting process that requires nine Security Council votes and possible vetoes from the five permanent members.
Following an inconclusive straw poll in the United Nations Security Council, Turkish foreign ministry officials announced that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had formally nominated Feridun Sinirlioglu, the current secretary‑general of the Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe (OSCE), as Turkey’s candidate for the next UN secretary‑general.
In a letter dated October 31, Turkish UN envoy Ahmet Yildiz transmitted the nomination to the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, in line with the UN Charter and a General Assembly resolution. The move comes as the selection process has stalled, with the latest poll failing to produce a clear majority.
Sinirlioglu’s nomination joins those of eight other candidates, including Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi of Argentina, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, Guyana’s ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, former UNGA President Maria Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Ugandan politician Olara Otunnu, and Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne A‑Baki.
A candidate for the secretary‑general position must receive at least nine votes in the Security Council and must not face a veto from any of the five permanent members—United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Once the Security Council reaches agreement, the nomination is generally considered a formality to be approved by the General Assembly. The current Secretary‑General, António Guterres, will conclude his term on December 31, 2026.
