Erdogan Calls Gaza War ‘Ecocide’ at COP31

At the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the war in Gaza had caused both genocide and “ecocide,” citing damage to olive trees, soil, water and cities, as well as flooding that submerged displaced Palestinians’ shelters. He called for immediate humanitarian access to Gaza and urged Israel to allow more aid; Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected his remarks as an anti-Israel campaign of lies and blamed Hamas for the devastation. Erdogan also pressed developed countries to shoulder more responsibility for cutting emissions and financing climate action, especially in vulnerable countries, while reaffirming Türkiye’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2053. His climate appeal came days after Türkiye celebrated a new oil discovery, and he argued that energy-transition policies must account for countries’ differing needs.