Turkey Fails in Attempt to Join UN Security Council

Turkey has failed to qualify as a non- permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council.

The General Assembly's 193 member states elected Venezuela, New Zealand, Spain, Angola and Malaysia to serve as nonpermanent members on the Security Council for a two-year term which starts on Jan. 1, 2015.

Turkey had campaigned heavily for the Council seat. Turkish Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, even conducted a party at Waldorf Astoria hotel before the voting day, reports the Associated Press.

Turkey was in competition with New Zealand and Spain for two seats representing the western group of nations. While New Zealand secured a seat in the first ballot, Spain won in the third round.

 "There may be some countries disturbed by our principled stance, and there have always been those, who, after some time, confess that Turkey's position was right. So, we could not abandon our principles for the sake of getting more votes, " Cavusoglu said, reports The New York Times.

Turkey's defeat comes in the wake of criticism leveled against it by the West for not taking sufficient action against the foreign fighters who have traveled through Turkey to join the Islamic State in Syria.

The country has also come under criticism for not intervening, when the Islamic State militants were attacking the Syrian Border town of Kobani.

Meanwhile, the United States has condemned the selection of Venezuela to the Security Council.

"Unfortunately, Venezuela's conduct at the U.N. has run counter to the spirit of the U.N. Charter, and its violations of human rights at home are at odds with the Charter's letter," said Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, reports The New York Times.