Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, spoke at the closing session of the "Environmental Forum" held at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel, organized by Anadolu Agency (AA) with the aim of raising awareness about the climate crisis and environmental issues. The forum's main theme was "Reshaping the Narrative of Environmental and Climate Crises."

Erdoğan expressed her hope that the forum would be beneficial for all humanity and conveyed her satisfaction with AA's sensitivity towards environmental issues. She praised the agency for establishing a "Climate Editorial Board" to enhance its efforts in this area and thanked the AA family and all those who contributed to the program.

She emphasized that climate change is a vital issue that directly affects humanity's 7.5 billion people and all living beings, noting that it is a common experience, problem, and destiny for all. Erdoğan underscored the importance of global solidarity in overcoming this predicament.

"Media plays a distinct role and holds significant importance in solving environmental issues. The influence of mass media on people's emotions and thoughts is increasing day by day," she said. Erdoğan highlighted that people hear about global warming only once a month, and major news channels dedicated just 142 minutes to climate change throughout the last year. "It is truly saddening that such a critical issue for our future receives so little attention in the media."

She pointed out that in the past 20 years, approximately 7,500 major natural disasters have occurred worldwide, indicating that climate change is often brought to the forefront through these disasters. Erdoğan stated that experts agree that climate change negatively impacts children's mental health, causing them to experience intense stress, anxiety, and fear.

"We must avoid using language that conveys a sense of helplessness in addressing this issue. Instead, we should frequently emphasize that 'climate change is a problem we can solve together.' Our goal should be to convince everyone that they are a solution center in reversing climate change. Educative programs that show ways to transform our lives with the 'Zero Waste' philosophy can greatly contribute to the solution," she noted.

Erdoğan also mentioned that Turkey has become a global player in environmental issues, recalling that the government approved the Paris Agreement and that President Erdoğan announced the "2053 Net Zero Emissions" target and declared the "Green Development Revolution." She highlighted that the "Zero Waste Project," initiated in 2017, achieved all its targets ahead of schedule and has garnered significant international recognition. Many countries have requested to share their "Zero Waste" experience, leading to the signing of a "Letter of Intent" with the UN Secretary-General during the 77th UN General Assembly.

Following her speech, Emine Erdoğan presented Special Awards at the Environmental Forum to Arturo Larena, Climate Director of the Spanish News Agency (EFE), for his leadership in climate and environmental journalism, and to Erik Solheim, former Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment and former Director of the UN Environment Programme, for his contributions to combating climate change and environmental issues throughout his career.