Turkey seeks to host next COP as co-presidency plans falter

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ISTANBUL — Turkey wants to host next year's UN climate change talks and is prepared to do so independently if consensus on co-presidency cannot be reached, a Turkish diplomatic source told AFP Sunday.

Australia and Turkey are locked in a stalemate over who should host the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in 2026.

The host must be chosen by consensus, so unless Australia or Turkey withdraws its bid or the countries somehow agree to share the duty, both will miss out.

The Turkish source said discussions with Australia on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's annual meetings initially yielded mutual understanding, including proposals for joint management of the presidency and shared high-level meetings.

But a letter from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected prior agreements, citing UN rules against co-presidency and concerns about diverting COP's Pacific-focused agenda, the source said.

"Turkey continues to advocate a co-presidency model as a step to strengthen multilateralism but is prepared to host the conference independently if consensus cannot be reached," the source told AFP.

Turkey aims to focus COP31 on the world's most vulnerable regions, with potential special sessions addressing Pacific issues, the source added.

The candidacy is framed as a call for global solidarity and constructive dialogue in climate action.