Turkey fails in bid to join U.N. Security Council

Turkey failed in its effort to join the U.N.’s most powerful body on Thursday, while Venezuela, New Zealand, Spain, Angola and Malaysia were elected to coveted Security Council seats. Turkey lobbied heavily among the General Assembly’s 193 member states for their votes, with its foreign minister hosting a party at the iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel the night before the vote. Turkey’s poor showing was seen by some U.N. diplomats as disapproval of Ankara’s handling of the crisis sparked by the jihadist advance in Syria and the regime’s authoritarian slide under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

We knew that it was going to be difficult for them, but everyone was taken by surprise.

U.N. diplomat, who asked not to be named

Over the three rounds of voting, Turkey saw its support dwindle from 109 votes to 73 and finally to 60, surprising many who saw the regional player as a strong contender. Often touted as a model for moderate Islam, Turkey has been under pressure to step up its involvement in U.S.-led efforts to combat Islamic State fighters in Syria. During its last campaign to join the council in 2008, Turkey won election in the first round with 151 votes, said the diplomat, who added that Thursday’s result showed a loss of status.

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