Erdogan condemns Gaza ‘ecocide’ at Cop31 climate summit in Turkey

At the opening of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Gaza had suffered “ecocide” as well as genocide, citing damage to its olive trees, land, water and cities. He called for immediate humanitarian aid and an end to Gaza’s isolation, saying floods had worsened the hardship for people living in tents and shelters.

Erdogan also urged developed countries to take greater responsibility for climate financing and warned that excessive consumption was deepening the climate crisis. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action, while Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said global attention had shifted towards weapons and tariffs. Negotiators from nearly 200 countries are seeking agreement on expanding electricity’s share of energy use and reviving efforts to move away from fossil fuels; a recent UN report said the world was on course to exceed the 1.5°C warming limit.