Turkey is planning to submit the Paris climate pact to parliament for approval next month in line with its constructive steps and a declaration of its contributions to the cause, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 21.
“We plan to submit the Paris Climate Agreement to our parliament next month, in line with the constructive steps to be taken and within the framework of our national contribution statement. We intend to complete the ratification phase of the ‘carbon neutral’ agreement before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow,” he stated, addressing the leaders at the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations.
The U.N. Climate Change Conference will be held in November in Glasgow, Scotland.
Turkey is not indifferent to any global problem, crisis or call, and would also do its part on climate change and protecting the environment, Erdoğan said.
“We consider this process, which will lead to radical changes in our investment, production and employment policies, as one of the main elements of our 2053 vision,” he added.
He underlined that the world should put its focus on climate change, because beyond being an environmental issue, this problem could lead to irreversible consequences for the Earth.
It is possible to prevent the coronavirus with vaccines, but there is no laboratory solution for climate change, said the president.
“For this reason, also for climate change, we repeat our call that the ‘World is Bigger than Five,’ something we say at every opportunity,” he said, referring to his long campaign to expand the U.N. Security Council beyond its five permanent members to make it more inclusive.
“Whoever has done the most damage to nature, to our atmosphere, our water, our soil and the Earth, and whoever has wildly exploited natural resources, should also make the greatest contribution to the fight against climate change,” he added.
Turkey in April 2016 signed the landmark agreement on limiting the dangerous emissions that contribute to global warming. But Ankara wanting to be reclassified as a developing instead of developed country to avoid harsher climate targets had been among a handful of holdouts.
While upholding high environmental standards, Turkey has argued that developed, industrialized nations cannot put the main burden of fighting climate change on the shoulders of emerging economies.
Elaborating on the agreement, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said Turkey is at the forefront of every issue that concerns the future of the world and the well-being of humanity and it fulfils its responsibilities both in the national and international arena in terms of climate change combat and adaptation policies.
“Our country will continue this struggle in accordance with the constructive steps to be taken and within the framework of the national contribution declaration,” he tweeted.
Turkey can’t take any more refugees
Erdoğan also emphasized that the world needs to find a way to contend with its existing refugees who are fleeing conflict.
In many places, people are collectively preparing to go to other places, to migrate, he warned and said, “The world has still not found a solution to the refugee problem caused by conflict-prone crisis regions such as Syria and Afghanistan.’’
He called on other countries to share responsibility for Afghanistan.
The president has warned that Turkey, which hosts nearly four million Syrians, cannot take in any more refugees.
“As a country that saved human dignity in the Syrian crisis, we no longer have the potential nor the tolerance to absorb new refugee waves,” Erdoğan said.
Turkey would fulfil its “fraternal duty” toward Afghanistan, the president said and called upon the international community to present help and solidarity.