ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged for Muslims to be part of the global decision-making process, a status he said they fully deserve.

"Muslims, who constitute a quarter of the world's population, must be represented in the global decision-making processes, as they deserve," Erdogan said in an address to foreign ambassadors serving in the capital Ankara.

Erdogan also underlined the absolute necessity to have an Islamic country with veto power on the UN Security Council, a point he has stressed over the years as part of his “the world is greater than five” initiative.

"Having an Islamic country with veto power on the UN Security Council is no longer just a need, but an imperative," Erdogan said during an iftar meal, the end of the daytime fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.