The Turkish city of Antalya has become the center of global diplomacy as the world leaders’ summit at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP31 got underway. The two-day summit is being presided over by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with heads of state and government from 102 countries, 300 ministers and high-level delegations from 196 countries taking part in the largest international gathering on climate action hosted by Türkiye.
Erdoğan, accompanied by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, welcomed the participating leaders one by one at a reception platform bearing the logos of the United Nations and COP31. The leaders then posed for a group photograph before moving to the “Anatolia Hall,” the conference’s largest plenary hall.
The footage shows the leaders arriving one after another at the reception platform, shaking hands with Erdoğan and Guterres, and posing for photographs in front of the conference logo. It concludes with aerial views of the conference area and the Turkish flag flying over Antalya.
Strong Arab and African presence
The summit features broad participation by Arab leaders, including representatives from Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia and the Comoros. Among the leaders who arrived in Antalya are Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Iraqi President Nizar Amidi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Dozens of African countries are also represented at the leaders’ level, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire. Their participation reflects the continent’s weight in the climate justice agenda, which Türkiye’s COP presidency has placed among its top priorities.
Intensive diplomatic activity by Erdoğan
On the sidelines of the conference, Erdoğan held a series of bilateral meetings. In talks with Guterres, he discussed regional and international issues, stressing that Türkiye is continuing efforts with countries in the region to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States and resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy. They also discussed developments in Gaza, Cyprus and Libya. Erdoğan also received Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, congratulated him on Ethiopia’s hosting of the upcoming COP32 conference, and met with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
4,000 journalists from more than 190 countries
Around 4,000 journalists accredited from more than 190 countries are covering the conference. They are working from a media center established in the “Blue Zone,” which covers 527,000 square meters and can accommodate up to 5,000 journalists, while around 100,000 people are expected to visit the area throughout the conference.
Foreign journalists praised the Turkish organization. British journalist Stuart Smith, who is attending a COP conference for the first time, said, “The food was excellent and the logistics ran completely smoothly. In short, it is a beautiful place for our conference.” South Korean journalist Lee Cho said that “the time has come to achieve a very significant result” in addressing climate change.
From decisions to implementation
At COP31, Türkiye is promoting the conversion of previous commitments into practical steps on the ground through an “Action Agenda” comprising 10 priorities. These include zero waste by 2035, the transition to clean energy, cities resilient to climate change and green manufacturing. The conference will continue until November 20.
Photo and video: Social media. Sources: TRT Haber, Anadolu Agency.
