Turkey fielding candidate for OSCE secretary general

Turkey, seeking to further strengthen its position in the international arena, is now looking for a Turk to be secretary general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the next three years. To date all OSCE secretaries general have come from European Union member states, but Turkey will field Ersin Ercin, currently ambassador to Brazil, touting him as a candidate who can unite East and West. No country has ever nominated a candidate for the position, so Turkey's action is unprecedented. The EU is also expected to support Ercin, and the first declaration of support for Ercin came from Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. Ercin's road to nomination began when President Abdullah Gul named him a special advisor for European security. Gul has also introduced Ercin to dozens of leaders during international summits and meetings. The OSCE is set to choose a new secretary general this summer.