Turkey Opens COP31 with Participation of 196 Countries and Leaders' Summit Chaired by Erdoğan

Turkey opened COP31 today with the participation of 196 countries and the European Union, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

The conference activities span 12 days across a total area of 1.1 million square meters, comprising 527,000 square meters for the blue zone (formal negotiations) and 582,000 square meters for the green zone open to the private sector and civil society.

The blue zone will host a leaders' summit on November 11 and 12 under the supervision of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. More than 102 heads of state and 300 ministers have so far confirmed their participation, while the number of accredited volunteers for the conference reached 45,000 from 154 countries.

Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum, who chairs COP31, announced an agenda comprising 10 priority pillars, most notably: clean energy and electrical transition, food security, climate-resilient cities, green manufacturing, and the health of oceans and seas.

The blue zone has been allocated 160 accredited pavilions and 90 international delegation offices. Authorities expect to receive approximately 100,000 visits to the blue zone and 1.5 million visits to the green zone throughout the conference days.

The thematic program is distributed across 12 daily pillars, beginning today with a day dedicated to food, agriculture and health, and concluding on November 20 with final negotiation sessions in the blue zone.