Turkey to follow up climate deal ratification with action: Official

MILAN

Turkey plans to take a series of fresh steps on the environment after ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement later this month, a senior official of the country said on Friday.

Attending a series of meetings in Milan, Italy being held in preparation for the COP26 UN climate conference to be held in Glasgow in November, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said that joining the Paris Agreement would not be a simple signature.

"In all our sectors, we're going to take steps to realize our agriculture, tourism, industry, and many investments as part of a sustainable, circular economy," he told Anadolu Agency.

Ankara had previously been subject to unjust conditions concerning access to climate finances under the Paris Agreement, said Kurum, explaining that the country's diplomatic efforts had rectified this situation.

"A new process of development will begin all over the world and we'll take our place in this development with our population of 84 million under the leadership of our president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) and become one of the leading countries," he said, adding that this would be an opportunity for all sectors.

Ratifying Paris deal

Underlining that Turkey would also work to achieve net zero emissions by 2053, Kurum noted that Ankara was one of the first countries to sign the Paris accord.

He also mentioned that many countries had hailed Turkey's decision to ratify the deal and adopt its net zero target by 2053.

"As Turkey, we will demonstrate our sincerity and determination in the fight against climate change in Glasgow ... We declare to the world that our net zero emission target will hopefully be reached by 2053," said Kurum.

In his address at the UN General Assembly last week, the Turkish President Erdogan announced that Ankara would submit the Paris Climate Agreement for approval to the country's parliament in October.

Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change reached an agreement to fight climate change and achieve a sustainable low-carbon future at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris on Dec. 12, 2015.

COP26 will take place in Glasgow between Oct. 31-Nov. 12.