Turkey's bid for security council seat faces election today

The election to select new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2009-2010 will take place today in New York. Speaking to Reuters in New York, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on Wednesday that Turkey, which has not served on the Security Council since 1961, is gaining support for its efforts to secure one of 10 nonpermanent seats on the 15-member council. Babacan added that the balloting is secret and that Turkey will continue its campaign until the last second. The winners, chosen on a region-by-region basis, will serve a two-year term beginning next January alongside permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.