IUCN deepens partnership with Türkiye ahead of COP 31

In May 2026, a high-level regional delegation from IUCN visited Ankara to strengthen partnerships with Türkiye, an IUCN State Member since 1993. As the country prepares to host UNFCCC COP31 in Antalya in November, the visit provided a timely opportunity to align IUCN's expertise with Turkish government priorities on climate and biodiversity, engaging key stakeholders across government, the COP31 Presidency Office, and IUCN Members. 

The delegation met with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the COP31 Presidency team led by Mehmet Ali Kahraman. Among the priority themes identified by Türkiye for COP31 are Nature-based Solutions (NbS), ocean and seas, and synergies between the Rio Conventions.  

During the meeting, IUCN delegation presented a formal letter to COP31 Presidency, inviting Türkiye to join the ENACT Partnership, a global initiative linking efforts to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. 

The Ministry of Environment announced plans to launch a Seagrass Initiative, with the possibility of IUCN Med joining as a potential partner, recognising the vital role of seagrass ecosystems as carbon sinks and nurseries for fish stocks. Discussions with the Ministry also focused on the management plan for the Patara Special Environmental Protection Area, located on the southern coast of Türkiye. Under the RESCOM project, IUCN Med has been collaborating with Turkish authorities and the Yolda Initiative on the development of the plan, which is now nearing completion and aims to safeguard both biodiversity and archaeological heritage through NbS. 

In a separate meeting, the delegation engaged with DEHUKAM, an organisation focused on ocean and coastal conservation in Türkiye. The discussion explored a potential memorandum of understanding to formalise collaboration on marine conservation. 

The delegation met with Germany's international cooperation agency, GIZ, in Türkiye. Given IUCN's global partnership agreement with GIZ, the two organisations agreed that IUCN would deliver an OECM capacity-building session this summer to advance protected areas and other effective conservation measures in Türkiye. 

The IUCN representatives also convened with the nine-members of the IUCN Türkiye National Committee to discuss ongoing initiative and explore opportunities for future collaboration. This visit reaffirmed the strong and growing collaboration between IUCN and its partners in Türkiye, while opening new avenues for joint action toward a more resilient and nature-positive future.  

The IUCN delegation comprised the three regional directors: Boris Erg, Regional Director of the European Regional Office, Oliver Avramoski, Regional Director of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Office, and Maher Mahjoub, Director of IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. Yaprak Arda, Marine Programme Officer at IUCN Med, also joined the delegation.