How Turkey resolved to ratify Paris Agreement on Climate

The country risking diplomatic marginalization, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finally transmitted the agreement to Parliament for ratification. It will have to reorient its energy policy to honor its commitments.

by Sasha Loizot (Istanbul, Correspondence)

“ratifies Paris!”, asked the young activist Atlas Sarafoglu, one of the “Climate Generation” ambassadors in Turkey, in an Instagram publication a few months ago. It’s now done. Five years after its signature by the country, the Turkish Parliament unanimously approved the Paris Climate Agreement, Wednesday, October 6 in the evening.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced him to the United Nations General Assembly forum in New York on September 21st. Turkey has delayed ratification as it wants to be considered as a developing country to benefit from the Green Climate Fund, financial mechanism for assistance to the most vulnerable countries of the United Nations (UN).

The COP26 perspective, which must be held at Glasgow of the on November 12, has completed receiving receP Tayyip Erdogan to ratify the text. With Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Libya or Yemen, the country was part of the latest recalcitrants – on the 195 signatory parts – to endorse the text. A posture likely to taint its credibility, while climate diplomacy is gaining importance in international bodies.

Turkish economy protection

Hardly returned from the United States, Turkish President has not lost time. The text arrived in committee for consideration in the early days of the return of Parliament, Tuesday, October 5th. Turkey thus undertakes to participate in the effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming at 2 ° C above the pre-industrial level, and reaching carbon neutrality by the middle of the century. In the corridors of Parliament, there is a maturity by 2053, but the government should only formalize a date in the coming weeks.

“We were expecting this decision, Murat Bakan, deputy of the principal opposition party, the Republican Party of the People (CHP), and member of the Environment Commission in Parliament. Professional organizations like Tussiad [a union Laïc patronal] insisted that it was absolutely necessary to ratify the Paris agreement, otherwise it would have a cost. In reality, the main motivation is not really to save the planet or to reduce the share of Turkey in the warming is to prevent this from harming the Turkish economy … She is already badly in point. “

The European Union (EU), Turkey’s largest trading partner, has adopted the Green Covenant for sanctions, including a carbon tax at the borders that would arrive the export of several products from the Turkish industry.

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/Media reports.