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| Tough Competition for the Most Coveted Seat at the United Nations | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| UNITED NATIONS — The sales pitch was not subtle. | |
| On the ground floor of the General Assembly building, the government of Turkey presented a photo exhibition congratulating itself for having welcomed refugees over the years: Abhkazians, Macedonians, and lately, Syrians fleeing the war next door. | On the ground floor of the General Assembly building, the government of Turkey presented a photo exhibition congratulating itself for having welcomed refugees over the years: Abhkazians, Macedonians, and lately, Syrians fleeing the war next door. |
| The exhibition, inaugurated on Monday evening by the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, was part of the country’s hard-knuckled push for a seat at the high table of global power, the United Nations Security Council. Crab cakes and wine were served. But no answers were offered on how exactly Turkey intended to help fight the scourge on its border, the militant group known as the Islamic State. | The exhibition, inaugurated on Monday evening by the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, was part of the country’s hard-knuckled push for a seat at the high table of global power, the United Nations Security Council. Crab cakes and wine were served. But no answers were offered on how exactly Turkey intended to help fight the scourge on its border, the militant group known as the Islamic State. |
| The test of Turkey’s campaign comes on Thursday morning, when the 193 member states of the General Assembly will elect five new members to rotating two-year seats on the Security Council. Three of those seats are effectively uncontested: the countries of Africa have already selected Angola to represent their continent, Malaysia is tapped for Asia and Venezuela is to get the seat earmarked for Latin America. | The test of Turkey’s campaign comes on Thursday morning, when the 193 member states of the General Assembly will elect five new members to rotating two-year seats on the Security Council. Three of those seats are effectively uncontested: the countries of Africa have already selected Angola to represent their continent, Malaysia is tapped for Asia and Venezuela is to get the seat earmarked for Latin America. |
| But there is a three-way contest for the remaining two, with Turkey against Spain and New Zealand. And Turkey is under the brightest spotlight of all. | But there is a three-way contest for the remaining two, with Turkey against Spain and New Zealand. And Turkey is under the brightest spotlight of all. |
| The country is a coveted partner for the American led coalition against the Islamic State, with a large army and extensive bases close to the action. But it has ruled out sending its own ground forces across the border under present conditions, and it has not yet allowed its air base at Incirlik to be used for combat operations. It is holding out for a no-fly zone over Syria. On Tuesday, it made matters more complicated for the United States by bombing a Kurdish militia in Turkey whose affiliates have been battling the Islamic State. | The country is a coveted partner for the American led coalition against the Islamic State, with a large army and extensive bases close to the action. But it has ruled out sending its own ground forces across the border under present conditions, and it has not yet allowed its air base at Incirlik to be used for combat operations. It is holding out for a no-fly zone over Syria. On Tuesday, it made matters more complicated for the United States by bombing a Kurdish militia in Turkey whose affiliates have been battling the Islamic State. |
| Diplomats say privately that given the circumstances, questions are being raised about whether this is the right time to reward Turkey with a Security Council seat, especially since it has only been four years since it last held one. | Diplomats say privately that given the circumstances, questions are being raised about whether this is the right time to reward Turkey with a Security Council seat, especially since it has only been four years since it last held one. |
| But Ebru Barutcu, Turkey’s ambassador to Portugal, who has been lobbying for votes in various capitals, said the discussions over Turkey’s cooperation in the American-led coalition would only help its chances. “This is a different clientele,” she said of her discussions with other diplomats. “People voting here are not the average citizen of the street, watching the news. They are more informed.” | But Ebru Barutcu, Turkey’s ambassador to Portugal, who has been lobbying for votes in various capitals, said the discussions over Turkey’s cooperation in the American-led coalition would only help its chances. “This is a different clientele,” she said of her discussions with other diplomats. “People voting here are not the average citizen of the street, watching the news. They are more informed.” |
| Turtle Bay, the neighborhood where the United Nations has its headquarters, is hardly K Street, the home of Washington lobbyists, but member countries try hard to get plum posts. The most coveted of those is a seat on the Security Council. | Turtle Bay, the neighborhood where the United Nations has its headquarters, is hardly K Street, the home of Washington lobbyists, but member countries try hard to get plum posts. The most coveted of those is a seat on the Security Council. |
| No one keeps score publicly on how much candidate countries spend campaigning for a seat, but diplomats estimate that it can run to $20 million or more, raising some eyebrows about whether that money could be more spent more usefully. | No one keeps score publicly on how much candidate countries spend campaigning for a seat, but diplomats estimate that it can run to $20 million or more, raising some eyebrows about whether that money could be more spent more usefully. |
| A Security Council seat is considered not just a matter of prestige, but also an opportunity to raise a country’s overall profile and help it gain advantageous bilateral deals down the road. | A Security Council seat is considered not just a matter of prestige, but also an opportunity to raise a country’s overall profile and help it gain advantageous bilateral deals down the road. |
| “Globally, you’re recognized as a player — you’re somebody,” said Christian Wenaweser, Liechtenstein’s ambassador to the United Nations. | “Globally, you’re recognized as a player — you’re somebody,” said Christian Wenaweser, Liechtenstein’s ambassador to the United Nations. |
| Still, he said that his own country, one of the organization’s smallest, had not yet found it worthwhile to try for a seat, in part because anything the Security Council tries to do can be vetoed by any of its five permanent members — France, Britain, China, Russia and the United States. | Still, he said that his own country, one of the organization’s smallest, had not yet found it worthwhile to try for a seat, in part because anything the Security Council tries to do can be vetoed by any of its five permanent members — France, Britain, China, Russia and the United States. |
| “In practice, sadly, the role of elected members is limited,” Mr. Wenaweser said, “as the council is really run by its permanent members.” | “In practice, sadly, the role of elected members is limited,” Mr. Wenaweser said, “as the council is really run by its permanent members.” |
| No matter. Hopeful nations campaign hard for years anyway, dispatching their diplomats to capitals around the world to gather support. New Zealand, which was last on the council in 1994, has four special envoys on the road now. | |
| Spain, last on the council in 2004, has been a bit less visible in the current campaign, though King Felipe VI was in New York last month to meet with world leaders at the General Assembly. | Spain, last on the council in 2004, has been a bit less visible in the current campaign, though King Felipe VI was in New York last month to meet with world leaders at the General Assembly. |
| The General Assembly is a democracy of sorts. Every member country, regardless of size, has a single vote. A two-thirds majority is required for a country to be given a seat, even in an uncontested race. | The General Assembly is a democracy of sorts. Every member country, regardless of size, has a single vote. A two-thirds majority is required for a country to be given a seat, even in an uncontested race. |
| The votes are held by secret ballot, with the emphasis on secret: one council diplomat said the final voting instructions generally were delivered straight from the foreign minister back home into the ears of the permanent representative in New York. | The votes are held by secret ballot, with the emphasis on secret: one council diplomat said the final voting instructions generally were delivered straight from the foreign minister back home into the ears of the permanent representative in New York. |
| The foreign ministers of Spain, New Zealand and Turkey are all here this week, meeting with regional blocs, counting potential votes, throwing parties. | The foreign ministers of Spain, New Zealand and Turkey are all here this week, meeting with regional blocs, counting potential votes, throwing parties. |
| At the Turkish reception, Mr. Cavusoglu spoke from a podium about the generosity of his government and the Turkish people to refugees from Syria. He told reporters he would entertain no questions about use of the Incirlik air base. | At the Turkish reception, Mr. Cavusoglu spoke from a podium about the generosity of his government and the Turkish people to refugees from Syria. He told reporters he would entertain no questions about use of the Incirlik air base. |
| He walked around the photo exhibition — it was called “Safe Harbour Turkey” and placed strategically next to the delegates’ entrance to the General Assembly hall — in the company of the deputy United Nations secretary-general, Jan Eliasson, of Sweden. More than a dozen ambassadors came up to shake hands and chat. | |
| As they walked out, they were greeted by Turkey’s competition. An intern from the New Zealand mission held up a sign ushering delegates to the party his country was holding on the fourth floor, with goody bags that included a bottle of New Zealand chardonnay. Delegates who do not drink alcohol were given a bottle of olive oil. | |
| Then a stream of diplomats went upstairs to be wooed again. | Then a stream of diplomats went upstairs to be wooed again. |