ANKARA (Reuters) – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe elected former Turkish Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu on Friday as its new secretary general, a Turkish diplomatic source said, filling a position that had been vacant since September.
The OSCE is the successor to a body set up during the Cold War for the east and west to engage with each other. In recent years, however, and especially since Russia invaded Ukraine, Moscow has blocked many key decisions, often crippling the organisation.
Foreign ministers from OSCE member states met in Malta this week and agreed on Sinirlioglu being the new secretary general, the source said, making him the first Turk to take up the role in the OSCE General Secretariat’s 50 years.
Sinirlioglu’s three-year term was approved by all 57 member states, the source said, meaning it was not opposed by Turkey’s historic rivals Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia.
Ankara has in recent years been working to repair ties with its NATO ally and neighbour Greece and the two have considerably improved relations. It also wants to normalise ties with Armenia after decades of animosity.
“The decision-making processes in the OSCE have been totally blocked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. No agreement can be reached between Western and Eastern countries on basic issues,” the source said.
“In the event peace talks start between Russia and Ukraine in the coming period, it is likely that an important role will fall on the OSCE,” the person added, saying Sinirlioglu’s term would focus heavily on preserving the foundations of European security, maintaining global stability, and strengthening the effectiveness of the OSCE.
In recent years, Turkey has sought to play an active role in mediating various conflicts. It has maintained cordial ties with both Kyiv and Moscow, and while it has provided military aid to Ukraine it has also opposed sanctions on Russia, repeatedly offering to mediate or host peace talks to end the war.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Peter Graff)
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