The key facts

  • The Erdogan-Guterres meeting took place on November 10 on the sidelines of COP31 in Antalya
  • They discussed Iranian-American tensions, the war in Ukraine, Gaza, Cyprus and Libya
  • Erdogan expressed hope that the conference would become a 'new starting point' in addressing climate challenges

Meeting on the sidelines of the climate conference

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday, November 10, on the sidelines of the COP31 climate conference, which is being held in Antalya, Turkey. The Turkish presidency announced the meeting, citing which the Anadolu agency reports.

Topics of the talks

According to the president's press office, the interlocutors discussed regional and global issues, including tensions between Iran and the United States, the war in Ukraine, as well as the situation in Gaza, Cyprus and Libya. Touching on Iranian-American tensions, Erdogan said that Turkey, together with other countries in the region, continues its de-escalation efforts, and emphasized Ankara's commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. On the Russia-Ukraine war, he said that Turkey is working to end the conflict and is ready to support a new dialogue process.

Climate agenda and participants

Erdogan noted that Turkey is pleased to have received the COP31 presidency and that preparations for the successful holding of the conference have been completed. He expressed hope that the forum hosted by Antalya would become a 'new starting point' in solving climate-related problems. Also taking part in the meeting were First Lady Emine Erdogan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu, Turkey's head of communications Burhanettin Duran, Deputy Chairman and official spokesman of the Justice and Development Party Omer Celik, as well as President of the 'Zero Waste' Foundation Samed Agirbas.