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Türkiye Says to Advocate for Climate Finance Reform at COP31
(MENAFN) Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum declared Tuesday that Ankara will push for climate finance to flow directly to developing nations and vulnerable regions at COP31, pledging his country's role as an "honest intermediary and fair referee" throughout the negotiations.
Kurum made the remarks at a forum titled Climate Change and Environmental Agenda in Türkiye on the Road to COP31, hosted by the SETA think tank in the capital Ankara. He argued that humanity's defining crisis today extends beyond carbon emissions — framing it instead as a fundamental conflict between civilization and the natural world.
The minister noted that Turkish diplomacy once played only a peripheral role in global climate forums, including the Rio Summit, but said the country has since evolved into a proactive and consequential voice on the world stage under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Kurum also flagged water as an emerging strategic flashpoint, warning that nations capable of managing water resources efficiently and generating clean energy will hold outsized geopolitical influence in the decades ahead.
"Today, conflicts in our region trigger energy crises, and asymmetric conflicts increase instability in oil markets. This shows that instability and climate change constitute an ecological survival issue," Kurum said.
He described Türkiye's posture on climate as both a strategic defense imperative and a development opportunity — one that demands a concrete, measurable, and society-wide action plan.
'Global financial system places burden not on those who pollute, but on those polluted'
Water and food security will anchor Türkiye's agenda at COP31, Kurum confirmed, cautioning that the world is fast approaching an era in which water rivals oil as the planet's most contested resource.
"We are rapidly moving toward a period where water will be central to national security and regional stability," he said, calling for a global framework that eliminates waste and ensures countries can achieve self-sufficiency through equitable financial and technical support.
Kurum also spotlighted the Zero Waste initiative — a program championed internationally by First Lady Emine Erdogan — describing it as a model for upholding what he called the "law of nature" by converting waste into usable energy and raw materials.
His sharpest criticism was directed at the architecture of global climate finance, which he argued systematically penalizes the wrong parties.
"The global financial system places the burden not on those who pollute, but on those who are polluted. We fundamentally reject this," Kurum said.
"In this regard, we categorically reject the current system. Türkiye will fight at COP31 to ensure that climate finance reaches directly to affected geographies and developing countries, and we commit to acting as an honest intermediary and fair referee," Kurum added.
Kurum made the remarks at a forum titled Climate Change and Environmental Agenda in Türkiye on the Road to COP31, hosted by the SETA think tank in the capital Ankara. He argued that humanity's defining crisis today extends beyond carbon emissions — framing it instead as a fundamental conflict between civilization and the natural world.
The minister noted that Turkish diplomacy once played only a peripheral role in global climate forums, including the Rio Summit, but said the country has since evolved into a proactive and consequential voice on the world stage under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Kurum also flagged water as an emerging strategic flashpoint, warning that nations capable of managing water resources efficiently and generating clean energy will hold outsized geopolitical influence in the decades ahead.
"Today, conflicts in our region trigger energy crises, and asymmetric conflicts increase instability in oil markets. This shows that instability and climate change constitute an ecological survival issue," Kurum said.
He described Türkiye's posture on climate as both a strategic defense imperative and a development opportunity — one that demands a concrete, measurable, and society-wide action plan.
'Global financial system places burden not on those who pollute, but on those polluted'
Water and food security will anchor Türkiye's agenda at COP31, Kurum confirmed, cautioning that the world is fast approaching an era in which water rivals oil as the planet's most contested resource.
"We are rapidly moving toward a period where water will be central to national security and regional stability," he said, calling for a global framework that eliminates waste and ensures countries can achieve self-sufficiency through equitable financial and technical support.
Kurum also spotlighted the Zero Waste initiative — a program championed internationally by First Lady Emine Erdogan — describing it as a model for upholding what he called the "law of nature" by converting waste into usable energy and raw materials.
His sharpest criticism was directed at the architecture of global climate finance, which he argued systematically penalizes the wrong parties.
"The global financial system places the burden not on those who pollute, but on those who are polluted. We fundamentally reject this," Kurum said.
"In this regard, we categorically reject the current system. Türkiye will fight at COP31 to ensure that climate finance reaches directly to affected geographies and developing countries, and we commit to acting as an honest intermediary and fair referee," Kurum added.
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