Turkey advances climate finance and Mediterranean environmental protection

In preparation for COP31, which will be hosted in Antalya under the leadership of Minister Murat Kurum, a policy dialogue titled ‘Towards COP31: Climate Finance Policy Dialogue’ was held in Istanbul. The event aimed to strengthen Turkey’s climate finance capacity, align public and private sector investments with climate goals, and foster cooperation between national and international financial actors. The dialogue brought together representatives from the public sector, finance, international organizations, academia, and civil society, including officials from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, the International Energy Agency, the World Bank, and the United Nations.

Parallel to these climate finance efforts, a major environmental protection initiative is being launched in the Mediterranean under the ‘Zero Waste Blue Project,’ supported by Emine Erdoğan. In Fethiye, a large-scale cleaning operation is underway to remove 16.2 million cubic meters of bottom mud to protect the marine ecosystem. To preserve seagrass meadows, the ‘Map-Buoy Management System’ has been introduced to regulate boat traffic and prevent uncontrolled anchoring. A pilot program in the Göcek-Dalaman Bays utilizes a digital reservation system via the DERIA mobile app, allowing boat owners to secure mooring locations and reducing impact on the seabed.