ANKARA
Turkey will continue contributing efforts to maintain global peace and security, the country's Foreign Ministry has said after losing its bid to secure a seat on the U.N. Security Council.
Turkey lost its campaign for the much-coveted non-permanent seat on the council in a runoff against Spain after both countries failed to garner the required number of votes in the first two rounds Thursday.
"Our country will continue efforts that will boost (the council's) activity, transparency and accountability regarding the issues occupying the world agenda," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Friday.
The ministry also said that Turkey will assume the presidency of the G20 economic forum on December 1.
Turkey was vying for one of two seats allocated to the ‘Western European and Others Group’ from which New Zealand won a place in the first round.
The U.N. General Assembly elected Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela as non-permanent members of the Security Council.
The new non-permanent members will serve two-year terms beginning January 1, 2015.
The Security Council comprises 15 countries, with five permanent members -- China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. -- having the right of veto.
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