Minister Kurum: “The proposed finance package does not satisfy Turkey’s concerns”

The Turkish Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum stressed that the memorandum of understanding, which will form the basis of the climate change financial package and is led by the World Bank with contributions from the United Nations, Germany and France, fails to satisfy Turkey’s concerns and justified stance.

The Turkish Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum said that the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres supports Turkey’s position in the climate change negotiations.

According to the Anadolu Agency, following his bilateral meeting with Antonio Guterres, Minister Kurum, who is attending the UN COP25 in Madrid, said “the UN Secretary General Guterres supports Turkey’s justified stance in the climate negotiations”.

Minister Kurum explained that he is working with the World Bank Group, France and Germany on a memorandum of understanding that will provide adequate conditions for the funding needed by Turkey for climate action. Kurum said, “We want our country to be treated as other countries with similar levels of development. We held very intensive negotiations before the Paris Agreement and the negotiation processes are still ongoing”.

Minister Kurum stressed that the memorandum of understanding, led by the World Bank with contributions from the UN, Germany and France, fails to satisfy Turkey’s concerns and justified stance.

Minister Kurum remarked that Turkey held negotiations during the Climate Change Summits presided by France, Morocco, Fiji and Poland, but a desired outcome could not be reached.

Kurum underlined that Turkey is requesting access to funds that are available to countries with similar levels of development, and said “If this access is not given, the post-2020 period will be a period during which Turkey is left behind and this is contradictory to the fair and reconciliatory nature of the Paris Agreement. We will absolutely not allow our country to be left behind in the climate regime. The agreement will provide us a fair cooperation platform only if our country is placed in a position that is in line with our national conditions and level of development, in other words if our name is deleted from Annex 1.”