China News Service, November 10th, Title: Turkish Ambassador to China: China’s experience has attracted much attention, and Turkey-China green cooperation ushered in new opportunities
China News Network reporters Wang Gaofei and Zhao Li
From November 9th to 20th, the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) will be held in Antalya, Turkey. Recently, Selçuk Ünal, Turkey’s ambassador to China, said in an exclusive interview with China News Network’s “News Hall” column that Turkey hopes to make COP31 a conference that focuses on implementation and promotes action, and looks forward to deepening cooperation with China in areas such as green development, energy electrification, and zero waste.
China’s experience attracts attention and we look forward to green cooperation between Turkey and China
2026 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Turkey. Green development and climate cooperation are injecting new connotations into the relations between the two countries. According to Yunar, both Türkiye and China are responsible members of the international community and attach great importance to multilateralism. The climate change issue also provides new opportunities for the two countries to deepen cooperation.
Yunar said that China's experience has attracted the attention of many countries, especially the global South. Türkiye also hopes to strengthen exchanges with China to explore how to deal with environmental and climate challenges more effectively.
Talking about the key issues of COP31, Yunar specifically mentioned zero waste and energy electrification. Türkiye hopes to use COP31 to further promote this issue and encourage all parties to actively participate in exploring how to reduce waste in food, plastics and other fields.
Energy electrification is also an area where Türkiye looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China. Yunar pointed out that China has advantages in the production of electrical appliances, electric vehicles and other products, and has continued to invest in areas such as ecological protection, green economy and electrification. Its practices in low-carbon technological innovation and green industry development are also worthy of reference and will help promote the development of the global green economy.
Yunal emphasized that the private sector is indispensable in combating climate change. Türkiye hopes that through relevant initiatives, companies will realize that reducing waste, promoting energy electrification and reducing pollution are not only beneficial to the environment, but also in the long-term interests of the companies themselves.
"Addressing climate change requires the participation of all parties." Yunar said that governments, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector should all play a role. New technologies such as artificial intelligence are also expected to provide new ideas for energy electrification and waste utilization.
Yunar said that in the face of the common challenge of climate change, Turkey and China can strengthen communication, share experience, promote implementation within multilateral frameworks, and contribute to global climate governance.
From commitment to action, global climate change cooperation urgently needs to break ground
"Environment and climate change have become the most urgent and important challenges in today's world," Yunal said.
Over the past 15 years, the international community has continued to explore climate issues and has experienced many twists and turns. As climate challenges intensify, how to truly implement the commitments made by various countries has become an important issue facing the international community.
Yunar said that Türkiye hopes that COP31 will pay more attention to practical results. "What we are most concerned about is how to make COP31 a conference that focuses on implementation and promotes concrete actions."
In his view, the issue of climate change has long gone beyond the scope of environmental protection. Sectors such as trade, commerce, education, and social welfare, as well as numerous public institutions, are closely related to addressing climate challenges. Promoting climate action requires coordinated efforts from government departments and the participation of all sectors of society.
However, climate cooperation does not always advance smoothly. Yunal pointed out that various unstable factors such as geopolitical frictions, wars and conflicts, as well as differences between various parties on climate issues, may affect international cooperation.
Türkiye is located at the intersection of Europe and West Asia and is closely connected with the Middle East, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Balkans and Europe. Yunar said that in the face of the complex international situation, Türkiye hopes to take advantage of its geographical location and diplomatic connections to create space for dialogue between all parties.
Yunar believes that “initiating dialogue with all parties and promoting all parties to seek consensus is what we hope to achieve through this conference.”
