Türkiye’s COP31 presidency will focus on turning climate commitments into concrete action, according to Kasım Yenigün, director general of the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion at the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Yenigün discussed Türkiye’s preparations for COP31, which will be held in Antalya in November.
Yenigün described 2026 as a “triple COP year,” as U.N. conferences on biodiversity, desertification and climate change are being held consecutively.
He noted that Türkiye is a party to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
While the climate change conference is held annually, conferences on desertification and biodiversity are held every two years.
