ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone Wednesday with Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Feridun Sinirlioglu, offering his congratulations for the election of Volkan Bozkir as president of the UN General Assembly. 

Erdogan and Sinirlioglu discussed the UN General Assembly's election of the former Turkish ambassador ahead of its 75th session in September.

The president wished that the election will be auspicious for all.

"The efforts did not go in vain,” he said, referring to Turkey’s bid for the presidency of the UN General Assembly.

“I congratulate you all and hope it will all be better from now.”

Also present during the phone call were Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Bozkir.

Bozkir is currently a Justice and Development (AK) Party lawmaker from Istanbul and head of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.

He was elected to the Turkish legislature in 2011 following nearly 40 years in the Foreign Service that included posts in Stuttgart, Germany; Baghdad; New York and Bucharest, Romania.

He also served as Turkey's Minister of European Affairs and Chief Negotiator.

Bozkir is the first Turkish national to head the General Assembly. He will take office in September and hold the post for one year.