Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum underlined that Türkiye wanted an equal and fair representation amid a dispute with Australia over the hosting duty of the COP31 climate summit.
Kurum was in Brazil on Wednesday for the ongoing COP30 summit and spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) as Australia signaled it would respect any decision that may award the duty to Türkiye. Türkiye, at one point, suggested joint hosting, but Canberra opposed it.
The minister said they were engaged in talks with all countries since Ankara announced its candidacy for next year’s COP31. He noted that he last met his Australian counterpart during the summit in Brazil regarding the candidacy process. “We will hold joint talks with Brazil, Azerbaijan (which held COP29 Presidency) and Australia. We desire Türkiye to be represented in an equal, fair manner,” he stated.
Kurum underlined that the negotiations should not “leave anyone behind.” “We aim for a process where Türkiye and Australia have equal rights and no one would be left behind, a process based on a common understanding of both developed and developing countries. The secretariat (voting on hosting) will ultimately decide upon it. We desire to conduct hosting duties under equal rights with Australia, our ally and friend for 58 years,” he said.
The minister highlighted that climate change is now more than an environmental issue and has become a matter of survival and security. He noted that talks were held in the first week of the COP30 summit on a wide array of fields, from energy to food. “Water, for instance, evolved into a crucial issue,” he noted.
On Türkiye’s stand on climate change issues, Kurum said they had ongoing commitments, such as a net-zero emission goal by 2053 as laid out by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “Türkiye is sincere and determined and takes part in climate change talks in a manner that would not hurt its growth,” he stressed. In this context, the minister said it was important to fund developing countries in fighting the impact of climate change. “In terms of historical responsibilities, Türkiye has no responsibility at all (in contributing to climate change), but we are still active in all fields to counter the effects. We are working to enhance the struggle, through renewable energy, recycling, and we are determined to do so in the future as well,” he said.
The minister reiterated that Türkiye recently adopted a climate law and set out regulations to achieve gains in the fight against climate change fallout.
Last July, Parliament adopted its first-ever climate law, introducing a wide-ranging legal framework to combat climate change, establish a national Emissions Trading System (ETS) and reinforce the authority of the Climate Change Directorate in enforcing environmental regulations.
