Republic of Turkey and AFD reaffirm their shared commitment to climate action ahead of COP31

sarrazinp@afd.fr

Published

18 Sept 2026

Republic of Turkey and AFD reaffirm their shared commitment to climate action ahead of COP31sarrazinp@afd.frFri, 18 Sep, 2026 - 12:47 Institutional September 18, 2026 1 Climate Minister Murat Kurum meets AFD Director General Christophe Lecourtier at AFD headquarters in Paris Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey and President of COP31, visited the headquarters of Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in Paris, where he met Christophe Lecourtier, CEO of the AFD Group. Their discussions focused on preparations for UNFCCC COP31 in Antalya, shared climate and environmental priorities, and the further development of the long-standing partnership between the AFD Group and Turkey. The meeting reaffirmed that the fight against climate change is a strategic priority for both France and Turkey and that the next phase of global climate action must be centered on implementation. Ahead of COP31, the Minister and the AFD Director General stressed the importance of sustained dialogue, consensus-building and partnerships among governments, development institutions, cities, financial institutions and the private sector to translate climate commitments into concrete action and investment.Both sides welcomed COP31 as an opportunity to give greater visibility to this partnership and to advance concrete initiatives. AFD highlighted the current preparations for a 600MEUR financing programme envisaged to address marine pollution and mucilage in the Marmara Sea and in the coastal cities through investments in wastewater treatment, water efficiency, reuse and circular water management both for the local governments and the industry. Further, AFD’s financing in Turkey extends to broader efforts on resilient cities and reconstruction in the areas affected by the earthquakes, sustainable infrastructure and integrated ecosystem and landscape management. These initiatives reflect a shared objective: moving from commitments to investment programmes and projects that respond to the needs of territories and communities.The discussions also highlighted the depth of AFD’s cooperation with the Republic of Turkey. Since 2005, AFD Group has provided more than €6 billion in financing for investments in the country – of which 80% have a climate objective – supporting both public and private actors. Cooperation with the Ministry has covered urban water, sanitation and waste services, post-earthquake reconstruction and Turkish green taxonomy, alongside broader work on urban resilience, circular water management, biodiversity and low-carbon development.Particular attention was given to the COP31 Presidency’s ambition to bridge the gap between climate ambition, finance and implementation. In this context, the Climate Implementation Bridge (BRIDGE), led by Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change was discussed as a country-driven initiative designed to identify implementation bottlenecks, strengthen climate-development-finance integration and connect national priorities more effectively with the existing ecosystem of international support. BRIDGE is conceived not as a new funding facility, but as a complementary mechanism to help turn climate priorities into action.Minister Kurum and Director General Lecourtier reaffirmed their willingness to maintain a close dialogue in the lead-up to COP31 and beyond and to continue strengthening cooperation between Turkey and France, notably through AFD. Both sides underlined their commitment to practical, inclusive and financeable climate solutions and to a COP31 that advances action, dialogue and consensus while accelerating implementation on the ground. Press contact: AFD : _AFDpresse@afd.fr About the Agence Française de Développement GroupThe AFD Group finances and supports more than 4,000 projects in 160 countries, covering areas such as access to water and energy, transport infrastructure, quality job creation, green industrialisation, and support for health and education systems. Structured around three complementary entities — AFD, which supports public-sector actors and governments; Proparco, which finances private-sector actors, including businesses; and Expertise France, which provides technical expertise — the Group addresses the full range of sustainable development challenges. The AFD Group commits nearly €14 billion in financing each year, primarily through loans repaid by its partners.https://www.afd.fr/fr