Respect for international law, the Turkey-Libya memorandum, recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, and the stance toward Hamas were at the center of the statements made by the European Union, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel during the General Assembly’s interactive dialogue with Feridun Sinirlioğlu, a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General, whom Turkey nominated on November 1, 2026.
The statements raised specific questions regarding the implementation of the Organization’s principles, with Greece, Israel, and Cyprus referring to the candidate’s previous positions as Turkey’s representative.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Cyprus raised five questions. Referring to a letter dated May 19, 2022, from Sinirlioğlu in his national capacity, in which, as Permanent Representative Ambassador Maria Michael noted, Mr. Sinirlioğlu argued that the Republic of Cyprus had ceased to exist as a legal entity in 1963, she asked whether he “currently recognizes its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and status as a member state of the UN?”
He also called for a condemnation of the attacks against peacekeeping operations in Pyla in August 2023 and for acceptance of the Security Council’s position on Varosia, as well as a commitment to the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
In the area of human rights, Ms. Michael posed two further specific questions, asking Mr. Sinirlioğlu to comment on assessments by UN bodies regarding the situation in Turkey.
First, she recalled that in 2024, the UN Committee Against Torture expressed concerns regarding allegations of widespread torture in Turkey. She asked the nominee to clarify both whether he accepts the Committee’s concerns and whether he supports an investigation into the allegations. “Do you share the Commission’s concerns, and would you support independent, impartial, and effective investigations into these allegations?” asked Ms. Michael.
She then she referred to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, citing the bans on demonstrations following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu in 2025. As he pointed out, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had characterized blanket bans on public demonstrations as unlawful. “Do you agree with the Office’s assessment?” he asked.
The question also extended to how the candidate would carry out his duties as head of the Organization. “As Secretary-General, would you be willing to publicly call on all member states to respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly?” he asked.
In his response, Mr. Sinirlioğlu did not address each of the five questions posed by the Cypriot side individually, but spoke generally about the principles that would guide the performance of his duties should he be elected Secretary-General.
“It goes without saying that the United Nations Charter, to which the Organization and its member states are bound, will guide my work if I become the next Secretary-General, including with regard to the Cyprus issue,” he stated.
At the same time, he linked his remarks on international disputes to changes in the global environment. “In recent decades, we have been experiencing a period of constant global geopolitical shifts, and it would be unrealistic to assume that such changing conditions do not affect international disputes,” he said. He added, however, that the UN Charter, whose principles he would be committed to defending as Secretary-General, “continues to be a source of inspiration for all of us in an ever-changing international environment.”
In closing, he cited a statement by former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, made during a press conference in June 1961, regarding the distinction between personal beliefs and neutrality in the performance of official duties. As he noted, quoting the passage, even a person who has his own ideas and ideals can “undertake and carry out neutral actions,” as this constitutes “an act of integrity.”
His statement did not include an explicit answer to the question of whether he recognizes the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and the status of the Republic of Cyprus as a UN member state. Nor did he articulate a specific position on the attacks against peacekeeping operations in Pyla, the Security Council’s resolutions on the Varosha area, or the two questions concerning human rights in Turkey.
The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations asking Mr Sinirlioğlu pertinent questions. However, they remain effectively unanswered. @CyprusinUN https://t.co/pxM1Jutvtu
— Cyprus MFA (@CyprusMFA) November 7, 2026
Speaking on behalf of the EU and its member states, EU Spokesperson Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis emphasized that the United Nations needs a Secretary-General “who is fully prepared to defend and promote full respect for the UN Charter and international law,” while equally supporting all three pillars of the Organization.
He expressed concern about violations that “all too often go unaddressed,” citing Ukraine, the Strait of Hormuz, the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar, and the “ongoing division of Cyprus.”
He placed particular emphasis on maritime security, including the Eastern Mediterranean among the regions where challenges are intensifying. He asked how the candidate would use the Good Offices and the prestige of his office to ensure compliance with international law, “including UNCLOS,” and to ensure accountability.
The EU also sought specific commitments on human rights and gender equality, noting that only 1% of the UN system’s budget is allocated to human rights mandates.
Mr. Sinirlioğlu described the freedom and safety of navigation as a top priority, stating that attacks on commercial vessels are “unacceptable, regardless of their origin or motives.” He referred generally to international legal instruments, without specifically naming UNCLOS. On the issue of funding, it emphasized that human rights cannot remain “the most underfunded pillar” of the UN, while advocating for the meaningful participation of women in decision-making.
Israel focused its statement on Hamas. The country’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Danny Danon, recalled that, in June 2018, Mr. Sinirlioğlu had called on the General Assembly to reject an amendment condemning the organization and demanding that it cease all violent activity.
Referring to the attack of October 7, 2023, which he described as “the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” he asked “Now that you are a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General, can you finally unequivocally condemn Hamas?”
Sinirlioğlu replied that in 2018 he was speaking as a representative of his country. “I fully and unequivocally condemn terrorism in all its forms,” he stated. However, his reference to Hamas was accompanied by conditions regarding violations of rules and its designation as a terrorist organization under international legal instruments.
Greece raised the issue of the compatibility of the candidate’s stated principles with the positions he had defended as Turkey’s permanent representative, focusing on the 2019 Turkey-Libya Memorandum of Understanding.
Greece’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Aglaia Balta, emphasized that Greece fully shares the principles of good faith, respect for international law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes—principles that every Secretary-General is duty-bound to uphold “without exception.” He added, however, that Mr. Sinirlioğlu’s previous actions “raise questions about how this commitment would translate into practice.” As he noted, Turkey and Libya “have neither adjacent nor opposite coasts and, consequently, do not share maritime borders.” He emphasized that the “so-called Turkish-Libyan memorandum completely disregards Greek islands, including Crete and the Dodecanese, as well as their right to establish maritime zones beyond the territorial sea, in accordance with the law of the sea, as set forth in UNCLOS.”
“It constitutes a flagrant redrawing of the map,” he pointed out, describing the memorandum as “null and void” and emphasizing that its recent alleged ratification by the Libyan House of Representatives cannot confer any legal effect upon it.
“How do you reconcile your professed commitment to good faith, to international law, and to the peaceful resolution of disputes with the fact that you have defended claims that ignore geographical reality and constitute a flagrant violation of international law, causing ongoing tension in the Eastern Mediterranean?” asked Ms. Balta.
In response, Mr. Sinirlioğlu did not address the substance of the memorandum. “I have been nominated by my country, but I am not here as a representative of my country,” he stated. He recalled that he was elected OSCE Secretary General as part of a joint Greek-Turkish proposal for leadership positions within the OSCE, with Greek support, and referred to his collaboration with the Greek director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
“I certainly have a national identity. But I have also proven time and again that I can be an impartial and independent international public servant,” he said, noting that “you can, therefore, be certain of that.”
Source: CNA
