Former Turkish Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu on Friday was elected the new secretary-general of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), 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 organization.
All 57 member states approved Sinirlioğlu’s three-year term, the source said, meaning it was not opposed by Türkiye’s historic rivals Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and Armenia.
In recent years, Ankara has been working to repair ties with its NATO ally and neighbor Greece, and the two have considerably improved relations. It also wants to normalize 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 source added, saying Sinirlioğlu’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, Türkiye 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.