Türkiye has mobilized 58,000 personnel across Antalya and surrounding provinces to safeguard the COP31 U.N. climate summit, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said, warning that climate change itself poses a growing threat to public security through extreme weather, natural disasters and migration.
Speaking at a news conference in Antalya, Çiftçi outlined extensive security measures for the international gathering, including a three-tier security system covering the host city, neighboring provinces, border regions and coastal areas.
"We have designated the provinces surrounding Antalya as the first security ring, those beyond them as the second, and our border and port provinces as the third," Çiftçi said. "A total of 58,000 personnel are serving across Antalya and these security zones."
The minister said 26,000 police and gendarmerie personnel were deployed on the ground, while the Coast Guard Command was providing maritime and aerial security.
Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has also stationed 1,000 personnel in Antalya to respond to potential emergencies, including fires, search-and-rescue operations and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
Çiftçi said the security preparations drew on Türkiye's experience hosting major international gatherings, including the NATO summit held July 7-8, which he said concluded without security incidents.
Beyond the summit's immediate security arrangements, Çiftçi emphasized that climate change should no longer be viewed solely as an environmental challenge.
"We consider climate change a security problem, a potential security vulnerability and even a risk multiplier," he said, stressing that authorities were incorporating climate-related threats into their emergency planning.
The minister said Türkiye's security institutions were adapting their planning to address the increasingly interconnected challenges of climate change, disaster preparedness and national security.
