Burhanettin Duran: Türkiye is at the center of diplomacy

Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran made a statement to the press within the scope of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) held in Antalya between 9-20 November.

Duran made evaluations about Türkiye's role in climate diplomacy, the international importance of the summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's diplomatic traffic and the work carried out by the Directorate of Communications.

“Türkiye SHOWS THAT IT IS AT THE CENTER OF DIPLOMACY”

Stating that Türkiye hosted three important international summits in 2026, Duran said, "Three very important summits led by Türkiye took place in 2026. One of them was the NATO summit, then the Organization of Turkic States summit, and now with COP31, Turkey has shown both the world and the region that it is at the center of diplomacy."

“CLIMATE JUSTICE AND IMPLEMENTATION ARE COME TO THE FOREGOING”

Emphasizing that the basic approach of COP31 is based on consensus, action and dialogue, Duran said that negotiations alone are not enough in the fight against climate change and that the decisions taken must be transformed into concrete practices.

Stating that two main issues came to the fore at the summit, Duran said, "The first is climate justice. As you know, developed countries have, in a sense, caused environmental damage to the world while industrializing. When we look at this aspect, they are more responsible. Therefore, this burden should not be placed on developing countries, on the contrary, there should be a sharing in finance, especially technology, to protect the environment and to combat climate change."

Stating that President Erdoğan also drew attention to climate justice in his speech, Duran stated that the second important issue is the implementation of the decisions taken. Duran stated that Erdoğan emphasized his approach on this issue by saying, "We will not pretend, the decisions taken must be put into practice."

“ENVIRONMENTAL GENOCIDE WAS ALSO USED IN GAZA”

Stating that what happened in Gaza should not be forgotten when discussing the climate issue, Duran touched upon the emphasis on environmental destruction in President Erdoğan's speech. Duran said, "There is a genocide committed by the Netanyahu government in Gaza, but they did not stop there. By slaughtering the olive trees, they actually committed an environmental genocide there."

“OUR PRESIDENT IS EXPECTED TO HAVE NEARLY 20 BILATERAL MEETINGS”

Stating that there was intense diplomacy traffic within the scope of COP31, Duran said that President Erdoğan has held 10 bilateral meetings since his arrival in Antalya. Reminding that Erdoğan made two separate speeches within the scope of the summit, Duran said, "There will be a very intense diplomatic traffic tomorrow. It is expected that at least that many meetings will be held, and nearly 20 bilateral meetings will be held."

Stating that Türkiye's hosting of COP31 was welcomed internationally, Duran stated that previous COP presidents also gave common support to Türkiye's term presidency.

“APPROXIMATELY 4 THOUSAND PRESS MEMBERS FROM 5 CONTINENTS ARE FOLLOWING THE SUMMIT”

Giving information about the work carried out by the Directorate of Communications during the summit, Duran said that the media accreditation was carried out in coordination with the United Nations. Duran said, "As the Directorate of Communications, we are working with the UN on media accreditation. 4 thousand press members from approximately 5 continents follow this great summit. We are very pleased that this summit, which continues between the 9th and 20th, has attracted attention from the press."

“WE ARE CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY BY FIGHTING DISINFORMATION”

Emphasizing that the Directorate of Communications is not limited to just the media organization, Duran stated that they inform the public with publications prepared on climate diplomacy. Duran said, "We have a book on climate diplomacy, a dictionary on climate change, and a book on what Türkiye's term presidency at COP31 is aimed at. We are carrying out a comprehensive study on this issue by publishing books, bringing this to the public agenda, and combating disinformation."

“COP31 IS BIGGER THAN NATO AND TDT SUMMITS”

Pointing out Antalya's capacity to host international organizations, Duran stated that COP31 is larger than the NATO and Organization of Turkic States summits in terms of its scope. Stating that great effort was made in the preparation of the summit, Duran said that the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum made significant contributions to the work carried out under the leadership of President Erdoğan. Duran said, "It was very valuable to hold this summit in Antalya, which represents one of the most beautiful meetings of blue and green. Antalya is a city with a very high capacity in terms of many capacities. However, the summit is also a very big summit. Frankly, we are talking about a bigger summit than the NATO and TDT summits."

Stating that the leaders attending the summit appreciated the efforts made for the organization, Duran said, "We are trying to host nearly 4 thousand press members here in the best possible way and to give strong messages to the world about climate change from Antalya. I received generally positive reactions in this context."

Duran expressed his hope that COP31 will be a summit where not only negotiations are held but also the decisions taken are reflected in practice in the fight against climate change.