Türkiye and Australia competed for the candidacy of the 'Meeting of the Parties', that is, COP31, which is being held in Antalya. When both countries insisted on determining the meeting place, where an absolute majority vote was required, the summit was considered to be held in Bonn, the central country. When there was criticism that Bonn would be too 'dry' for such a big meeting, it was decided to organize the summit under the chairmanship of two countries, for the first time in the history of climate meetings.
While Türkiye assumed the general coordination of the logistics and operational processes of the summit, Australia assumed the role of the negotiating country. While Murat Kurum, who spoke to his foreign counterparts through a translator, was the President of the Summit as the host, Australia's young but experienced politician Chris Bowen was the Chairman of the Negotiations.
It is understood that the political power governing Turkey has constructed this role sharing according to the 'multiple benefit theory' stated by H. Bahadır Türk in his book AKP-101. The search for sponsors does not take long for COP31, which was decided to be held at the EXPO fairground in Antalya, but requires a much more comprehensive organization than the 'flower event' in 2016. While some large contractors that are falling out of favor are shown a 'baton' and made to accept sponsorship, 'those among us' such as TOKİ are easily included in the scheme. TOKİ spends over 8 billion for the construction of the event area, infrastructure and landscaping, which are stated to be insufficient for COP31. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization gives nearly 6 billion. Thus, it is understood that no prestige was spared on behalf of the state.
With a hasty presidential decision in May, 300 decares of first-class agricultural land, which is located directly opposite the EXPO event area and can fit 42 football fields, was expropriated. Asphalt is being poured into the cotton fields of Turkey, which was once an agricultural country, and which are large and productive enough to be sprayed by planes, creating a parking area for COP31. The transport sector using this region constitutes the most visible part of the 'contribution economy'. For now, no one knows who is licking their fingers and to what extent in hundreds of activities, from artistic to scientific and promotional, within the COP31 event area...
Minister Chris Bowen, who is Australia's Chairman of the Negotiations, is criticized by his country's right-wing opposition for keeping the goal of limiting global warming alive while also pursuing policies that encourage fossil fuel exports. Environmental organizations in his country accuse Bowen of 'hypocrisy' on this issue. While Bowen faces criticism at home, he chairs several comprehensive clean energy meetings, starting with the goal of giving voice to his neighbors, the Pacific States, at COP31. So, unlike us, Australia and its representative have concerns about global warming and, more importantly, there are non-governmental organizations that will hold them accountable when they return to their country. Türkiye is co-chairing with such a democratic country…
It seems that our primary expectation from COP31 is not to deal with the global climate crisis and the problems it will cause. In the National Energy 2040 Plan, which was recently announced by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, there is no calendar showing when we will transition away from fossil fuels. Therefore, compared to Australian Minister Bowen, who was criticized for going to the meeting on a private plane and needlessly spewing methane gas into the atmosphere(!), the plane's exhaust gas is as valuable to us as the latch on the outer door. While Australia is negotiating to make the previous decisions and promises made concrete at this summit, we are trying to turn COP31 into an opportunity to promote our country and Antalya.
The MPs of the political power in the region say on the screens that COP31 is a great promotional opportunity for the region. Thus, he salutes his voters as a person who has served his region. The city's local press covers COP31 only from this aspect. However, the same politicians did not hesitate to blame the opposition local municipal governments for the microplastic pollution released into the sea from the Adana region, which the AKP turned into Europe's garbage dump. They do not even mention that TOKİ, the sponsor of COP31, erected huge blocks in the northern slope of the city of Alanya, where there is no planning permission, and turned the city into a heat sink. Yes, the name Antalya is indeed mentioned in the world press, but that's it. Neither Kemer, which is right next to it, nor Side and the others are mentioned in any way. Therefore, this is just a promotion of a city, not a region.
In Antalya, which leads the future in water poverty, 72 mining areas were put out to tender in the three-year period from 2022 to 2025. In addition, 472 (!) mining site licenses were given as a favor tender before the EIA was initiated. It is said that 10 percent of the mine is used in 'wild mining' in the mines located in Antalya water basins and the remaining waste is thrown into the river beds. It is also stated that the rocks that hold groundwater due to their porous structure also suffered from this brutal destruction.
