WORLD
Turkey's president heads to New York for 76th UN General Assembly
Baku, September 19, AZERTAC
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is heading to New York on Sunday, where he will attend and speak at this year's UN General Assembly, according to Anadolu Agency.
In his speech to the UN body, Erdogan said, "I will emphasize Turkey's strong support for multilateralism and the goal of establishing a fairer world order.”
Turkey has long championed a more representative UN Security Council – one bigger than its five current permanent members – using the slogan, “The world is bigger than five.”
“I will share our views on key issues on the UN's agenda. From the General Assembly podium, I will express our approach to the challenges that threaten all humanity," Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul Airport.
Adding that that at the meeting Turkey will give "a message about migrants," he said: "We are the ones who bear the biggest burden from this."
Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers and irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution, including Syrians and Afghans.
Turkey already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any country in the world, amid signs that a new wave of Afghan refugees might head towards Turkey and the EU.
On Afghanistan, Erdogan said his country will never have "any hesitation" about sending humanitarian aid there.
The 76th session of the General Assembly opened last week, and the high-level General Debate begins on Tuesday. Some 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend.