The “Türkiye: A Strong Hub for Investment” media programme was held in İstanbul from 3 to 6 September, in cooperation between the Directorate of Communications and the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency.
Dina Abi Saab, President of the Association of Correspondents Accredited to the United Nations (ACANU) and a senior correspondent at the UN Office at Geneva, and John Zarocostas, a Geneva-based international journalist who participated in the programme, shared their views on the programme and Türkiye with an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent.
Saab said her visit to İstanbul left her with the impression of a country highly conscious of its strategic position and determined to translate that position into influence, connectivity and long-term development.
“What impressed me most was the country’s dynamism and the ambitions expressed in many of the discussions I had. Türkiye does not view climate policy, urban transformation or technology as disconnected issues,” Saab said, stressing that Türkiye approaches these areas collectively as part of a broader effort to strengthen economic resilience, improve its cities and continue to play a role in regional and global cooperation.
Saab said Türkiye was making a serious effort to transform the experience it has accumulated through both its achievements and difficult experiences into a more coherent vision for the future.
Pointing to the importance of their meeting with Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Murat Kurum, Saab said, “This meeting placed climate action on a very tangible footing, encompassing cities, housing, public services, resource management and the safety of communities. The meeting left me with the impression that Türkiye intends to approach climate policy not only as an environmental obligation but also as an agenda for urban development and resilience. The Zero Waste initiative is a good example of this approach. The initiative has made the concepts of waste reduction, recycling and the circular economy much more visible in public life.”
Saab noted that efforts were being made to turn the lessons of the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye on 6 February 2023, also referred to as the “disaster of the century”, into a source of learning and inspiration for building cities that are safer, more sustainable and more resilient to future shocks.
Saab said Turkish officials had stated that, across the 11 provinces affected by the earthquakes, 455,000 homes, workplaces and village houses had been built by the end of last year, with due consideration given to climate-resilient design, compatibility with renewable energy and Zero Waste principles. She added that the real value of this approach would depend on factors such as the ability to apply the experience gained consistently across the country.
“Türkiye has the logistical experience, institutional capacity and international profile required to host COP31”
Saabt said, “I believe Türkiye has the logistical experience, institutional capacity and international profile required to host COP31. Türkiye is familiar with the processes required for major international events, such as hosting delegations, coordinating between institutions, managing transport and security, and operating at the intersection of diplomacy, business and civil society. In this respect, it has the practical capacity to host a conference of this scale. Türkiye also has an opportunity to bring a meaningful perspective to global climate discussions. By making resilient cities a central theme of COP31, Türkiye can also make a meaningful contribution to international climate discussions.”