Turkish diplomat appointed to key UN post

Ambassador Levent Bilman, newly appointed to a senior UN post, is the latest Turkish diplomat to boost Turkey's visibility in multilateral diplomacy with posts at international organizations, with Ankara hailing the move as "a concrete sign of Turkey's soft power." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Bilman, currently ambassador to India, to head the Policy and Mediation Division at the UN Department of Political Affairs (UNDPA) under the helm of UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe. Ban officially notified Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of the appointment during a bilateral meeting in New York on Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry hailed the decision, saying that it will strengthen Turkey's contributions to the UN. "Turkey's recently rising success in international organizations is impressive," added the ministry. "This success is a concrete sign of Turkey's becoming more active and of its soft power … and manifests Turkey's initiatives towards mediation and its unique position."