“Because we are so confident, we did not leave the environment chapter till the end,” said Eroğlu, speaking on Wednesday at a conference on cooperation between the public sector and the state on projects developed to fight global climate change held at the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) headquarters in Ankara.He also said private sector and state agencies are working in cooperation and even solidarity to combat global climate change, which he said is the most important topic in the chapter. Speaking about the projects that will be completed during Turkey’s efforts to close this chapter, Eroğlu said, “We, as the public sector, will take on about three-fourths of the environment investment of about 60 billion euros while one-fourth will be undertaken by our industrialists and businessmen.”
Eroğlu recalled that Turkey attended the Copenhagen summit on global climate change last year as a party to the Kyoto Protocol. Eroğlu said Turkey has taken extensive measures to limit carbon emissions, to an extent that falls far beyond the country’s scope of responsibility. He said there have been major transformations in the energy sector, waste treatment, transportation and other areas, adding that Turkey will be attending the next Kyoto summit in Mexico scheduled for the end of this year as a country which has fulfilled its environmental responsibilities.
He said the ministry had not been content with fulfilling its responsibilities under the environment chapter and has been developing projects to carry its responsibility to the Turkish people. Eroğlu said one such important project was ensuring that clean potable water is accessible to everyone across Turkey’s 81 provinces. He said Turkey has also come a long way in waste storage and the management of landfills. The minister said: “Even if we hadn’t opened this chapter in our negotiations with the European Union, we have a responsibility to the Turkish people. We’re already carrying out various projects to ensure clean drinking water and a clean environment. The demand for clean drinking water has been met in all 81 provinces through 2023. We are trying to extend this to a 40-year period. Our investments in the environment are returned to us as significant savings in health spending. We are aware of this and we are working for the clean environment that our people need. We as a ministry have worked day and night to make sure that the environment chapter is opened as quickly as possible. With holistic policies that we will carry out together with our businessmen and industrialists, Turkey will be among the top countries to carry out their environmental responsibilities.”
He said most of the significant investments were made in reducing carbon emissions, anti-erosion measures and reforestation. He said Turkey has broken a new record by reforesting nearly 1 million hectares of land. He also said that Turkey, experienced in reforestation and fighting erosion, had offered to help other countries in these areas at the Copenhagen summit. He said protocols have been signed with some countries that have responded to Turkey’s offer. Eroğlu said Turkey will be working together with a number of countries, from Portugal to Kyrgyzstan and other Caucasus countries in sapling production, forestation efforts and fighting wind erosion and forest fires.
National
