Turkey to take over two new missions on UN security council

Turkey is set to assume two significant missions on the UN Security Council during 2010, in another sign of its increasing visibility and activity within international organizations. Turkey is in the middle of a two-year non-permanent membership on the 15-nation Security Council which lasts until year’s-end. Now Turkey is taking over from Croatia chairmanship of the council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee. It will also become the lead council member on Afghanistan in 2010. The post was held last year by Japan, which was elected to the council for 2009-2010 along with Turkey, Austria, Mexico and Uganda.