Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in New York to participate in the 81st high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly. Upon his arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Turkish leader was greeted by a delegation including Türkiye’s Ambassador to the UN Ahmet Yildiz, Ambassador to Washington Sedat Onal, Consul General in New York Muhittin Ahmet Yazal, and other senior diplomatic officials.
Erdogan departed from Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport on the presidential aircraft alongside first lady Emine Erdogan. His delegation includes several high-ranking officials, such as Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin, and Communications Director Burhanettin Duran.
The President is scheduled to deliver his annual address on Tuesday, the opening day of the high-level debate, marking his 16th appearance before the General Assembly. His speech is expected to focus heavily on the Israeli military escalation in Gaza. Erdogan is anticipated to urge the international community to adopt a collective, decisive stance against ongoing Israeli assaults on Palestinians and to emphasize the urgent need for international recognition of the State of Palestine, alongside potential global diplomatic measures against Tel Aviv.
Beyond his address, the Turkish leader has a busy schedule planned for the week, including a series of bilateral talks with various heads of state and government. Furthermore, he is set to speak at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit on Wednesday, a significant appearance given that Türkiye is slated to host the UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, in Antalya this November.
