TURKEY TO ASSUME UN SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY Turkey, a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, will temporarily take over the council’s presidency again Wednesday and will head two high-level U.N. meetings during its one-month term, Anatolia News Agency reported. According to the source, Turkish President Abdullah Gül will chair a U.N. meeting Sept. 23 on the protection of peace. A presidency statement to be prepared by Turkey is expected to be adopted at the end of that meeting. The second meeting, on the global fight against terrorism, will be held Sept. 27 and chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. Following the meeting, another statement is expected to be adopted. Turkey has been the head of the council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee since the beginning of 2010 and previously held the term presidency in June 2009. The Security Council will convene Thursday and decide the month’s schedule. Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ertugrul Apakan, will hold a press conference about the details of the schedule. Developments in the Middle East, the recent reports by the council’s sanctions committees about Iran and Sudan, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the U.N. Mission in Nepal, the U.N. Mission in Liberia, the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, cases of mass rape in Congo and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s recent report on Somalia are among the topics on the council’s agenda. Israel’s raid on the Mavi Marmara ship has been on the agenda of the council’s meetings on the Middle East since the attack occurred May 31; the issue is expected to top the agenda again in the council’s Middle East meeting Sept. 17. The U.N. investigation delegation – formed to investigate the raid – is expected to present its first report to the U.N. secretary-general before Sept. 15, allowing the report to be discussed at the Sept. 17 meeting. Turkey’s council membership will expire Jan. 1, 2011. | 
