“The time for words is over. Now is the time for implementation,” declared Turkey’s Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, who is heading this year’s United Nations climate conference, presenting COP31 as a moment to turn years of pledges into action.
But as the world’s biggest climate-related gathering takes place in Antalya this week, Turkey’s own environmental record raises questions.
Turkey became Europe’s largest producer of coal-fired electricity in 2024 and remains a major destination for European plastic waste. It continues to pursue fossil-fuel projects, including new petroleum and natural-gas infrastructure in Antalya itself.
The contrast has sharpened scrutiny of whether Turkey’s COP31 presidency reflects a genuine shift in its climate policy or is primarily an exercise in winning international prestige.
Environmental expert and climate activist Koray Dogan Urbarli says the contrast between Turkey’s climate diplomacy and domestic policies goes to the heart of its COP31 presidency.
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