Turkey's parliament passes land‑use reforms amid climate summit criticism

The Turkish Grand National Assembly debated a draft law that would amend the Soil Protection and Land Use Law and several other statutes. Lawmakers highlighted a contradiction: Turkey is set to host the UN climate conference while a proposal seeks to convert agricultural land into a parking area, prompting sharp criticism from opposition deputies.

The approved amendments reset the distance requirements for rice paddies, limiting their placement to within 500 m of city limits and 50 m of villages. The legislation also tightens advertising rules for alcoholic drinks, bans the use of brand logos on packaging and restricts retail sales hours. Changes to the Atatürk Forest Farm Law would grant tax exemptions for all farm properties and related administrative fees. The first five provisions were adopted on 9 June, with further discussion scheduled for later in the week.