Türkiye Nominates Feridun Sinirlioğlu for UN Secretary-General as Race Stalls

Türkiye has formally nominated Feridun Sinirlioğlu to be the next UN Secretary-General. He is the secretary-general of the OSCE and a former Turkish foreign minister. Ankara submitted the candidacy on Friday, October 30.

The move came on the day of the Security Council’s seventh informal straw poll. A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the poll showed there is “still no consensus on a candidate,” PassBlue reported. The spokesperson said the process is “reaching a stalemate.”

The Nomination Letter

Türkiye’s UN ambassador, Ahmet Yıldız, sent the nomination in a letter dated October 30. It went to General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman and Security Council President Aglaia Balta. The letter passes on a message from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan nominating Sinirlioğlu under Article 97 of the UN Charter.

The package includes his CV and a vision statement. The letter says activities related to his candidacy will be financed through personal resources. It refers to the joint letter of November 25, 2025, which formally opened the selection process.

Who Is Sinirlioğlu?

Sinirlioğlu was born in 1956 in Giresun, on the Black Sea coast. He studied political science at Ankara University. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate from Boğaziçi University, Türkiye Today reported.

He served twice as undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, from 2009 to 2015 and again in 2015–2016. In between, he was foreign minister in the interim election government, from August to November 2015.

From 2016 to 2023, he was Türkiye’s permanent representative to the UN. OSCE member states chose him as secretary-general on December 6, 2024, for a three-year term. A Turkish source told Reuters he was the first Turk to hold the post.

A Race With No Consensus

Preliminary results of the latest poll showed Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica in front. She won 11 “encourage” votes and four “discourage” votes, The National reported. Argentina’s Rafael Grossi had nine, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett eight, and the UAE’s Lana Nusseibeh seven.

The polls are informal and anonymous. The Council does not release official results. In the sixth poll, every candidate drew at least one “discourage” vote from a permanent member, Security Council Report said.

A candidate needs nine votes and no veto from the five permanent members. They are the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. The General Assembly then makes the appointment on the Council’s recommendation.

Latin America’s Claim

Many members say it is Latin America’s turn. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States made that case in a joint statement, Security Council Report said. No woman has ever led the UN.

Spain’s prime minister made the same argument in September. Clash Report posted his remarks.

Senegal’s Macky Sall withdrew on October 17, after the sixth poll. He said the results pointed to a candidate from the region, possibly a woman. The UAE nominated Nusseibeh four days later.

Clash Report also posted that the Trump administration reportedly encouraged Viktor Orbán to run. Russia and China were reportedly supportive of a joint candidacy. Orbán was not on the Council’s list of candidates for the latest poll.

Ankara’s Case

Erdoğan has been calling the leaders of Security Council members. After a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, he said the new chief “must have the vision and experience” to make the UN “once again the center of multilateralism,” according to a Turkish statement.

A Turkish official told Türkiye Today that Ankara is not positioning itself against any candidate. The official said Türkiye’s view of the UN rests on the principle that “the world is bigger than five.” That is a reference to the five permanent members.

Erdoğan addressed the General Assembly in September. Clash Report reported that Israel left the hall as Erdoğan called Gaza an “inhumane concentration camp”. He also spoke with Donald Trump this week, as Clash Report reported in its story on the call. Zelensky is due in Istanbul on October 31, according to Clash Report’s report on the visit.

What Happens Next

Secretary-General António Guterres steps down at the end of the year. The Council must agree on one name before the General Assembly can vote. Sinirlioğlu now joins a field that has failed to produce a clear winner.