Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signs the memory board during the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Antalya, Turkiye, on November 11, 2026. [TUR Presidency/Murat Cetinmuhurdar – Anadolu Agency]
Climate diplomacy earns public trust when it delivers cleaner air, reliable water supplies and affordable energy. As COP31 gathers in Antalya, Turkiye has an opportunity to turn international commitments into practical cooperation, with benefits extending far beyond its borders.
In his opening address on 11th November, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a conference centred on implementation. His emphasis on accessible climate finance, vulnerable countries and the environmental consequences of war offers a clear direction. The challenge is to translate that vision into lasting results.
For me, environmental cooperation with Europe has a personal history. On 21st December 2009, while I was Turkiye’s Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, we opened Chapter 27 on Environment in our accession negotiations with the European Union. This was a concrete step towards aligning environmental standards and strengthening our shared capacity to protect the continent.
Yet that chapter remains open, caught in an accession process paralysed by political obstacles, including member-state vetoes and Cyprus-related restrictions on closing chapters. The broader negotiations have been at a standstill since 2018. Whatever the disagreements, allowing this paralysis to persist is a great loss for the European Union itself.
Europe is foregoing the full benefits of deeper environmental integration with a country whose geography, productive capacity and regional relationships could strengthen its climate ambitions.
Pollution does not stop at an EU border, and drought does not respect a political veto. Reviving meaningful engagement with Turkiye would serve Europe’s own interests.
Clean energy provides an obvious starting point. Turkiye aims to reach 120 gigawatts of combined wind and solar capacity by 2035. Cooperation on electricity grids, storage, efficiency and cleaner industrial production could strengthen energy security while reducing emissions. Turkiye must also address its continuing reliance on coal through a fair transition that supports affected workers and communities.
Water should be another priority. Turkiye could help develop Mediterranean partnerships to reduce leakage, improve irrigation, safely reuse treated wastewater and share drought warnings. Protecting wetlands, coastal habitats and forests would reinforce that effort. These are practical areas where European, Turkish and Middle Eastern institutions can work together despite political differences.
The Zero Waste initiative, launched in 2017 under First Lady Emine Erdoğan’s leadership, provides a further foundation. Turkiye helped bring this approach to the United Nations through the establishment of the International Day of Zero Waste. Antalya should build on that achievement through municipal partnerships that prevent food waste, improve collection and expand reuse and recycling.
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Finance will determine whether such projects succeed. The COP31 presidency’s Climate Implementation Bridge, or BRIDGE, seeks to connect national priorities with investable projects and financing partners.
Turkiye can help mobilise technical assistance while advocating affordable finance for vulnerable countries. Protecting communities from floods and water shortages cannot depend solely on commercial returns.
Erdoğan also drew attention to Gaza’s environmental devastation. UNEP has documented extensive damage to its soil, freshwater and coastline. Turkiye could work with Palestinian institutions and international partners to restore water systems, safely manage debris and rehabilitate agricultural land. Such recovery requires humanitarian access, security and Palestinian leadership, supporting people’s right to rebuild their lives in their homeland.
Turkiye brings experience in mediation and peacebuilding to this task. It co-founded the UN Group of Friends of Mediation with Finland and helped make the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative possible alongside the United Nations. These efforts illustrate the value of maintaining dialogue across divides. Climate diplomacy needs that same ability to identify shared interests and negotiate practical arrangements. Turkiye can apply this experience to finding common ground on environmental challenges among countries with different priorities and levels of development.
Turkiye’s partnership with Australia, which leads COP31’s negotiations while Turkiye hosts and holds the presidency, offers a chance to connect Mediterranean and Pacific priorities. Its value will be measured by stronger cooperation and tangible support for those most exposed to climate risks.
Antalya’s legacy should be projects with credible funding, clear responsibilities and measurable results. Turkiye can combine its environmental capabilities with its experience in bringing disputing parties together.
The European Union should recognise the cost of keeping that potential constrained by political deadlock. A country that helps others find common ground can also help build the cooperation our shared environment urgently needs.
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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
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