THIS week, the pulse of global diplomacy beat in Türkiye again. But this time, the agenda was shaped around "environment, climate, zero waste" issues for the common future of humanity.
Antalya, where the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 31) hosted by Türkiye was held, became the meeting point of the world.
I watched more international summits than I can remember. COP 31 was the 5th UN Climate Change Conference that I followed.
So what you are about to read is confirmed by personal experience.
If you wish, let's start with the logistics issues first...
The "Türkiye couldn't do it" lobby was at work in the first days of the summit.
The organization was tried to be declared "inadequate" from the very beginning by certain circles and foreign collaborators, citing the heavy traffic towards the Antalya EXPO area, where more than 100 thousand people flocked.
Yes, reaching the summit area was not the easiest task in the world. But in organizations in different countries, people did not go to the summit center via the red carpet! Those who have experienced the accreditation ordeal that lasted hours after a long journey know!
As for the accreditation issue from the media's perspective...
At this point, they wanted to bill the Turkish side. However, the United Nations itself made the summit accreditations. If they knew the truth, could they make such a fuss on social media?
We also saw photo posts with the theme of "human flood" on social media.
Admittedly, the summit area was quite crowded on the day the leaders' session was held. Despite this, it did not take hours for thousands of participants to enter the area. Although the line was long, it moved quickly. Because simultaneous service was provided from numerous security corridors.
The claim that "There was no free food or tea or coffee in the summit area, and the prices were high" was true!
Considering our country's culture of hospitality and the service at the NATO Ankara Summit, I predicted that "the situation in Antalya would be different from cities in other countries."
I asked the authorities and learned the truth...
According to its rules, the UN did not want the host country to provide free refreshments to the participants. The aim was to prevent each host country from offering different standards of catering according to its own budget and to ensure a common order at all summits.
Preventing problems such as chaos, food safety risks and waste that would be caused by open catering distribution in organizations with thousands of people was among the factors in the UN's implementation of this rule!
One of the things I liked about the summit margin was the "volunteer" system.
While I was studying international relations, I volunteered in global meetings. In this way, I gained organizational experience and made many friends. In Antalya, young people worked like "aid machines", especially for foreign participants. Our devoted brothers and sisters, who made our work easier with their smiling faces, deserved our thanks.
Let's come to the events that left their mark on the summit...
President Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the leaders who came to the summit opening together with UN Secretary-General Guterres. Except for one... Nikos Hristodulidis, who appeared in Antalya on behalf of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus. When he entered the summit area, President Erdoğan left the platform and the Greek leader could only shake hands with the Secretary General.
That was the truth. From where? Because Türkiye does not recognize Hristodulidis as "the legitimate representative of the whole of Cyprus!"
Following Erdoğan's attitude, the Greek-Greek media tried to counterattack to suppress his inferiority complex.
See... President Erdoğan can meet "any political actor" and have a conversation with "any political actor" in a multinational session abroad. This can be considered in the ordinary course of diplomacy. However, while welcoming the heads of state and government as the host, he could not be expected to reach out to a name whose claim he did not accept to represent, within the framework of the same protocol.
So, even though he predicted all this, "why was Christodoulides there?"
Let's give you the answer...
COP 31 is a UN organization and he was invited by the COP 31 Secretariat.
TRNC President Tufan Erhürman and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel were also at the summit. They were also in Antalya upon an invitation letter specially signed by President Erdoğan.
Speaking of welcoming… Let's not forget to mention that the moments when Surangel Whipps Jr., the President of Palau, which consists of more than 500 islands in the Pacific Ocean, took a selfie with Erdoğan added color to the summit.
COP 31, which went down in history as the largest climate summit with the largest participation, differed from its counterparts at a critical point.
This time, Türkiye gave its "strong messages addressing the common conscience of humanity" from the center of climate diplomacy.
The "tragedy in Gaza", which Ankara expressed on every international platform, was the "breaking message" of President Erdoğan's summit opening speech.
Erdoğan harshly criticized Israel, which does not refrain from directing the oppression in Palestine towards trees, water and soil, while the world is listening to him.
Sitting opposite Secretary General Guterres and dozens of state leaders, he asked:
"Aren't Gazans deemed worthy of even a tent?"
And he continued with sharp sentences:
"Hundreds of thousands of our Gazan brothers and sisters, who do not have a roof to take shelter under, especially innocent children who are shivering, are struggling to survive in the water, in these winter conditions, often without their parents. We want to send containers, but it is not allowed! Showing strength over the tragedy of Gaza children is weakness, impotence, and above all, unconscionability."
And the second day of the leaders' summit...
COP31 President... Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, who made great efforts for this giant organization... Kurum honored Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammed Mustafa, whose turn it was to speak at the session he chaired, with his announcement.
At the session where 196 country representatives were present, the Institution said (on behalf of Gaza and the West Bank): "We want the voice rising from Antalya to be the voice that says 'stop' to climate injustice and the silence of conscience!" Upon his words, the hall stood up.
In summary; At the COP 31 Conference, Türkiye said loudly…
I am present at every solution-oriented table, and in fact, I am one of the main actors in many of them.
I am the architect of the "struggle for a more just world" on a global scale and "peace, stability and prosperity" in my region!
Let's leave it to the experts in this field to comment at length on the issues of environment and climate change. However, we cannot pass without mentioning the Zero Waste Movement, which was launched in 2017 under the leadership of President Erdoğan's wife, Emine Erdoğan. The Zero Waste initiative, which turned into a global vision with the decisions of the United Nations, is one of the projects where Türkiye can show concrete results in the international arena.
Bringing 90 million tons of waste into the economy reveals that the movement is not just an awareness campaign. Moreover, this experience also constitutes a good example in terms of the "concrete result" expectation that stood out at the Antalya summit.
Finally…
Let's say "Let's COP". The slogan of COP 31... A special campaign song was also prepared with this name. (Change Our Planet) calls for joint action to turn global climate goals into concrete steps. Creative, inclusive and catchy in terms of communication language…
But what remains of Antalya is not just a slogan.
