Politics
Türkiye wins bid against Australia to host COP31 summit
A longstanding race to host next year’s COP31 summit ended with a win for Türkiye, which competed against Australia. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that they would lead the conference’s negotiations among governments and that Türkiye would host next year’s U.N. climate summit, under a compromise deal taking shape in talks in Brazil.
The annual COP conferences are the world’s main forum for driving climate action. The compromise would resolve a stand-off between Australia and Türkiye over who would stage COP31. Both bid in 2022 to host it and refused to stand down.
The two sides were now close to a deal that would see Türkiye hosting COP31 as summit president, with a pre-COP event staged in the Pacific and Australia as president of negotiations, Albanese said. “What we’ve come up with is a big win for both Australia and (Türkiye),” he told Australian Broadcasting Corp Radio.
The two nations now have just a year to prepare for an event that attracts tens of thousands of people and requires months of diplomatic legwork to reach consensus around climate goals. “There’s a little way to go in these discussions,” Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen told reporters at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, adding that the compromise would achieve Australia’s aims.
“It would be great if Australia could have it all. But we can’t have it all,” he said on Wednesday. “It was important to strike an agreement.” The deal envisages Bowen leading COP negotiations. “I would have all the powers of COP presidency to manage, to handle the negotiations, to appoint co-facilitators, to prepare draft text and to issue the cover decision,” Bowen said.
The Turkish government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers told Sky News, however, that even with the compromise agreement, “we’ve made sure that the Pacific is front and centre, which is really one of our most important objectives in all of this.”
Australia pitched its bid as a “Pacific COP,” done in partnership with island nations and emphasizing their exposure to climate change and rising sea levels.
It says it has already spent A$7 million ($4.5 million) on preparing to host, reflecting confidence that backing from a large number of countries would enable it to fend off Türkiye’s bid.
Türkiye, which will host COP31 in the city of Antalya, has said that as an emerging economy, it would promote solidarity between rich and poor countries at its summit, which would have a more global rather than regional focus.
Earlier this week, Albanese rejected prospects of co-hosting the event, citing U.N. rules. Türkiye had urged a joint model and said the sides had discussed potential frameworks in September.
“It is a good outcome,” said David Dutton, a director of research at the Lowy Institute and who was, until September, Australia’s assistant secretary of climate diplomacy. “It alleviates some of the cost and burden of organizing the COP while creating opportunities for Australia and the Pacific to do something with it.”
It is a major coup for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has pursued an assertive, go-between diplomacy that positioned Türkiye as a mediator in conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza and the Horn of Africa.
The summit will be held in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, where Türkiye already hosts a major diplomatic forum every January that serves to showcase the soft power image that Ankara wants to project.
COP summits attract world leaders, business executives and tens of thousands of visitors, and hosting the gala events has become a point of prestige.
Rival COP-hosting bids are not unprecedented, but none had ever come down to the wire like this.
Under COP rules, hosting duties rotate through five blocs and in 2026, that fell to the Western European and Other States, two dozen mostly European countries, but also Türkiye, Australia and Canada, among others.
On Wednesday, at a meeting to break the impasse, Turkish diplomats stood together alone some distance from the other representatives, with both groups entering the room through different doors. The meeting was chaired by German state secretary for the environment Jochen Flasbarth, who told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the co-hosting proposal was “innovative” and he did not hear opposition to it.
Türkiye’s anti-disinformation body rejected claims that certain social groups have been systematically targeted in recent operations and denied reports suggesting new restrictions have been imposed on minority schools.
The Center for Countering Disinformation (DMM), under the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, said claims circulating on some social media platforms alleging that “certain social structures have been systematically and categorically targeted” in recent operations contained disinformation.
The center said judicial and administrative proceedings were not conducted on the basis of the name, nature or social affiliation of any group.
“All judicial and administrative processes are carried out by the competent authorities in accordance with relevant legislation, based on concrete incidents, unlawful acts and evidence obtained,” the DMM said.
It urged the public to rely on official statements and disregard what it described as deliberately circulated manipulative content.
Last week, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek noted recent investigations into organized crime groups target criminal acts rather than religious beliefs or communities.
“The fundamental criterion here is not the identity of any belief, religious structure or community, but criminal acts and structures connected to those acts,” Gürlek said in a social media statement. “Faith and religious values can in no way be turned into an instrument or shield for criminal activities.”
In a separate statement, the DMM also rejected reports suggesting that minority schools in Türkiye were being subjected to specific restrictions.
The center said posts circulating on some social media accounts and in media outlets that created the impression that minority schools were being “specifically targeted through various restrictions” contained disinformation and risked undermining social peace and cohesion.
No new measures beyond provisions already stipulated under relevant legislation have been introduced for minority schools, the DMM said.
It added that the schools continue their education and teaching activities.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik on Tuesday sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing his government of fueling instability and conflict across the region.
“The Netanyahu ‘genocide network’ means nothing but more chaos and massacres for the entire region,” Çelik stressed in a statement on social media.
Çelik said Netanyahu has increasingly targeted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he faces mounting pressure in Israeli domestic politics, arguing that the attacks stem from Erdoğan’s vocal opposition to Israel’s actions in the region.
He said Erdoğan’s stance represents what he described as an “alliance of humanity” against Israeli policies and called for those responsible for violations to be held accountable under international law.
Çelik also linked Israel’s military actions in Gaza with its policies and operations elsewhere in the region, including the occupied West Bank, Iran, Lebanon and Syria, describing them as parts of the same agenda.
Referring to recent developments in Syria, Çelik accused Israel of targeting the country whenever the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa takes steps aimed at strengthening Syria’s territorial and political unity.
“The Netanyahu network’s latest targeting of Syria has once again shown that Israeli policies are the greatest enemy of the peace and stability of the peoples of the region,” Çelik said.
He urged the international community to respond collectively to Israel’s actions in Syria and elsewhere in the region.
“Standing against the Netanyahu network means defending the dignity of all humanity,” Çelik said.
Earlier Sunday, Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement holding Israel responsible for obstructing efforts to establish peace in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel has continued its genocide in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounding more than 174,000, most of them women and children. The offensive has also caused widespread destruction, damaging about 90% of the territory’s infrastructure.
Since Monday, the Israeli army has also continued earthmoving operations and work to reopen an old dirt road north of Wadi al-Raqad from the direction of Mariya village, using a bulldozer accompanied by a tank and a pickup truck, SANA said.
Southern Syria has witnessed recurring Israeli incursions and attacks for months, including raids, searches and arrests.
Türkiye on Wednesday marked World Humanitarian Day by stressing the need to protect United Nations personnel and humanitarian workers and ensure the rapid, safe and unhindered delivery of aid to people in need, with officials drawing particular attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a statement marking Aug. 19, which was designated World Humanitarian Day by the U.N. General Assembly in 2008, the Foreign Ministry underscored the importance of safeguarding humanitarian personnel working in conflict zones.
The ministry said the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, at a time when a record number of humanitarian workers have been killed while carrying out their duties, demonstrates the critical importance of the principles represented by World Humanitarian Day, including the responsibility to save lives and protect civilians and aid workers.
“On the occasion of Aug. 19 World Humanitarian Day, we commemorate with gratitude U.N. personnel and humanitarian workers who lost their lives after being targeted while carrying out their duties,” the ministry noted.
Türkiye will continue working to deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need in Gaza and other parts of the world in line with its “people-centered foreign policy,” it added.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also marked the day, saying the international community was going through a period in which the “global conscience” was being severely tested.
Duran pointed to Gaza, where tens of thousands of people, many of them women and children, have been killed and access to basic necessities remains severely restricted, while humanitarian workers have also been targeted.
“Wherever they may be in the world, we will continue to stand with those facing oppression and extend a helping hand to those in need,” Duran said.
He also thanked humanitarian workers who put human life above all else and expressed hope for a world where humanitarian assistance is not obstructed, civilians are protected and justice is upheld.
Through its state and non-state organizations and institutions Türkiye has been a leading international donor of humanitarian assistance. Turkish assistance has been delivered to across five continents through operations coordinated by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The assistance, including providing food, shelter, medical supplies, financial assistance and search and rescue equipment to regions affected by wars and natural disasters, has reached to more than 85 countries and communities worldwide.
Among these operations, Gaza has been the largest recipient of Turkish international humanitarian assistance, where AFAD has coordinated the delivery of 109,332 tons of aid through 14 aircraft and 21 ships following Israeli attacks on the enclave.
In addition, AFAD dispatched 25 “Kindness Trains” carrying 11,739 tons of humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan, alongside six cargo flights; in Sudan, six ships delivered 10,206 tons of aid and 30,000 tents, while Pakistan received 9,079 tons of humanitarian assistance. Additional shipments included 3,000 tons of aid to Somalia and 730 tons to Lebanon.
Nearly 15,000 humanitarian aid trucks have also crossed into Syria, making it one of Türkiye’s largest long-term relief operations.
More recent disaster response missions have included 30 tons of humanitarian aid sent to Venezuela following the powerful earthquakes that struck the country in June. The shipment, transported aboard two military cargo aircraft, included 275 tents and 7 tons of medical supplies. Türkiye also supported Spain after severe flooding by sending 250 large-capacity waste containers and two street-cleaning vehicles to assist recovery efforts.
Alongside AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and other Turkish humanitarian organizations have expanded Türkiye’s global relief efforts. Kızılay said it reached 32.9 million people worldwide in 2025, including 11.2 million people abroad, delivering more than 20,000 tons of humanitarian aid and over 10 million hot meals in Gaza while continuing operations in Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Niger and Uganda.
During Ramadan 2026, Kızılay carried out humanitarian operations in 21 countries, providing iftar and sahur meals, food packages and emergency relief. In Gaza alone, it served 60,000 people daily through soup kitchens, while its 21st “Ship of Goodness” delivered aid to Egypt’s al-Arish Port for onward transport into the enclave. The organization also distributed assistance in Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) and the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation announced Ramadan aid programs spanning 66 and 86 countries.
Kızılay also dispatched 48 tons of humanitarian aid to Iran in April after receiving a request from the Iranian Red Crescent. The four-truck convoy carried shelter materials, hygiene kits and trauma supplies for civilians affected by ongoing attacks, with the organization saying further assistance would continue in line with humanitarian needs.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to humanitarian aid worldwide, pledging to continue standing with people in need, particularly in Gaza, as more than 300 million people struggle without access to basic necessities.
Marking World Humanitarian Day in a post on X, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue setting an example on an issue that transcends politics, drawing strength from its history and deeply rooted civilizational values.
He said Türkiye remains the world’s leading provider of humanitarian assistance relative to its national income.
Erdoğan pointed to the plight of more than 300 million people deprived of their most basic needs and struggling to survive under difficult conditions, saying the scale of suffering presents a reality that calls on the entire international community to shoulder responsibility.
He stressed that coming to the aid of the oppressed, orphans, vulnerable and needy, and standing by those who have no one else, is a responsibility rooted in Türkiye’s religious and humanitarian values.
Erdoğan pledged that Türkiye would continue extending its “hand of compassion” wherever people are in need.
He added that Türkiye would continue supporting those in need across many parts of the world, particularly in Gaza, while offering hope to people facing oppression and hardship.
Through its state and non-state organizations and institutions Türkiye has been a leading international donor of humanitarian assistance. Turkish assistance has been delivered to across five continents through operations coordinated by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The assistance, including providing food, shelter, medical supplies, financial assistance and search and rescue equipment to regions affected by wars and natural disasters, has reached to more than 85 countries and communities worldwide.
Among these operations, Gaza has been the largest recipient of Turkish international humanitarian assistance, where AFAD has coordinated the delivery of 109,332 tons of aid through 14 aircraft and 21 ships following Israeli attacks on the enclave.
In addition, AFAD dispatched 25 “Kindness Trains” carrying 11,739 tons of humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan, alongside six cargo flights; in Sudan, six ships delivered 10,206 tons of aid and 30,000 tents, while Pakistan received 9,079 tons of humanitarian assistance. Additional shipments included 3,000 tons of aid to Somalia and 730 tons to Lebanon.
Nearly 15,000 humanitarian aid trucks have also crossed into Syria, making it one of Türkiye’s largest long-term relief operations.
More recent disaster response missions have included 30 tons of humanitarian aid sent to Venezuela following the powerful earthquakes that struck the country in June. The shipment, transported aboard two military cargo aircraft, included 275 tents and 7 tons of medical supplies. Türkiye also supported Spain after severe flooding by sending 250 large-capacity waste containers and two street-cleaning vehicles to assist recovery efforts.
Alongside AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and other Turkish humanitarian organizations have expanded Türkiye’s global relief efforts. Kızılay said it reached 32.9 million people worldwide in 2025, including 11.2 million people abroad, delivering more than 20,000 tons of humanitarian aid and over 10 million hot meals in Gaza while continuing operations in Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Niger and Uganda.
Türkiye on Wednesday rejected any legal implications from Greece’s newly announced renewable energy spatial plan in the Aegean Sea, stressing that unilateral initiatives cannot alter Ankara’s longstanding legal position on disputes between the two neighbors.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Greece’s “Special Spatial Framework for Renewable Energy Sources,” announced Wednesday and covering the Aegean Sea, would have no legal consequences for Türkiye regarding the interconnected disputes between Ankara and Athens.
He said this also applied to geographical formations whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece under international treaties.
“These and similar initiatives will not affect Türkiye’s legal position regarding Aegean issues,” Keçeli said.
The spokesperson reiterated Ankara’s position that unilateral actions should be avoided in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas such as the Aegean and Mediterranean, noting that international maritime law encourages cooperation among coastal states.
Keçeli stressed that Türkiye, as one of the two coastal states of the Aegean, remains ready to cooperate with Greece.
He also reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to resolving outstanding disputes through international law, equity and good-neighborly relations under the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness signed on Dec. 7, 2023.
Türkiye’s communications director Burhanettin Duran said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats and accusations against Türkiye and Syria reflect his government’s growing international isolation and domestic political concerns, pledging Ankara would continue opposing policies that threaten regional stability.
Responding to questions from Anadolu Agency (AA) about Netanyahu’s recent remarks targeting Türkiye, Duran said the Israeli leader was attempting to portray regional countries as threats to divert attention from criticism of his government’s policies.
“The threats and lies Netanyahu voiced against Türkiye and Syria in an interview are a new reflection of the Israeli prime minister’s growing international isolation, political fears and delusions,” Duran noted.
He said Netanyahu’s efforts to create what he called “imaginary threats and enemies” no longer had a significant impact on international public opinion, arguing that opposition to Israel’s policies was increasing.
Duran stressed Netanyahu was using hostility toward Türkiye as a political “lifeline” amid domestic concerns and approaching elections, while competing with more radical political factions in Israel.
He accused Netanyahu’s government of pursuing aggressive policies stretching from Gaza to Syria and Lebanon and of tolerating settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The problem is not that people do not sufficiently understand Israeli policies, but that more and more people understand and reject them,” Duran said, adding that accusations against regional countries and large-scale public relations campaigns were therefore producing limited results.
Asked whether Netanyahu’s rhetoric could signal an expansion of Israeli military action toward Türkiye, he noted regional countries and the international community were increasingly opposing what Ankara sees as an Israeli strategy that fuels wider conflict.
“The entire region is coming together against a strategic destabilizing actor,” he said.
Duran argued that the Netanyahu government had largely abandoned diplomacy and dialogue, saying its approach increasingly equated security with continued military action rather than regional stability.
Türkiye’s opposition to those policies, he underlined, stems not from Ankara posing a threat to Israel but from Türkiye’s regional influence and its stance against actions that it believes undermine security and stability.
Duran also pointed to criticism of Netanyahu within Israel, saying opposition figures had described his anti-Türkiye rhetoric as irresponsible and damaging.
He described Türkiye as an experienced regional power and NATO member that has strengthened both its diplomatic influence and defense capabilities.
The Israeli government should instead pursue a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and refrain from further destabilizing actions, Duran said.
Asked how Ankara would respond to Israel’s policies, Duran said Türkiye would continue supporting countries pursuing peaceful policies in the region, particularly Syria.
“We are a cautious, coolheaded and powerful country,” he said, adding that Türkiye had the ability to protect its national security while avoiding what he described as attempts to drag the region into further confrontation.
“Türkiye will never allow anyone to disturb the peace of our nation and our friends,” he emphasized.
-
Economy2 days agoPutin orders government to help rebuild destroyed Wildberries warehouses
-
Economy2 days agoUAE halts all trade, financial activity with Iran: Report
-
Economy2 days agoTürkiye’s unemployment rate falls to record low of 7.9% in Q2
-
Economy3 days agoLed by ex-Ferrari designer, Türkiye’s 2nd homegrown carmaker nears debut
-
Politics3 days agoErdoğan congratulates UK PM Burnham, vows deeper Türkiye-UK ties
-
Politics2 days agoTurkish NGOs join Gaza aid campaign across 5 continents
-
Refugees3 days agoShip attacked in Hormuz strait as Iran throttles traffic through key waterway
-
Economy3 days agoRising copper prices help mining giant BHP lift its profits