In brief
In Atlanta on November 1 2026, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced the nation’s formal nomination of Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu for the post of UN Secretary‑General, saying the move aimed to break a year‑long stalemate among Latin American contenders. The nomination came after Turkey submitted a letter from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the UN Presidencies and an expressed intention to act only if the selection process died. Fidan noted that Turkey respects a geographic rotation but felt the deadlock called for a diplomatic contribution.
At a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta on Saturday, 1 November 2026, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Ankara had formally nominated Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu for the post of UN Secretary‑General, saying the move was designed to help the United Nations overcome a deadlock in its selection process.
In a letter sent to the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council, Turkey’s UN Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız transmitted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s nomination letter, in accordance with the U.N. Charter and a General Assembly resolution.
Fidan told Anadolu and Turkish public broadcaster TRT that the bid “is intended to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming the impasse.”
“Our goal is to provide a diplomatic contribution aimed at overcoming the impasse.”
He added that the selection process had been underway for roughly a year, with several Latin American candidates competing in line with the informal geographic rotation that traditionally guides the choice of a new U.N. chief. Ankara respects the expectation that Latin America should have its turn, but it said the process had reached a stalemate, citing recent voting moves that involved the United Arab Emirates’ candidate Lana Nusseibeh.
Sinirlioglu, who has served as OSCE secretary‑general since 2021, is an experienced career diplomat with extensive experience in international security and multilateral diplomacy. According to the Turkish statement, Turkey’s decision to submit its own nominee was an “effort to contribute to resolving the impasse,” rather than an attempt to unilaterally win the competition.
