ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Istanbul should be one of the global capital cities of the United Nations.

"I believe that Istanbul as a United Nations capital will be to the purpose for world peace, alliance of civilizations, tolerance and for a fair global economic development," Erdogan told Monday the 10th session of the United Nations Forest Forum in Istanbul.           

Erdogan said all nine previous sessions of the UN forest forum was held in New York, adding that Istanbul was the first venue to host the event outside the UN headquarters in New York. 

"Istanbul is a well-known city is Asia and Africa, and it is touched by almost all cultures and peoples of the world," Erdogan said.