13.11.2026 11:34
Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, opened the Zero Waste Museum in Antalya within the scope of COP31. Emine Erdoğan, who cut the ribbon designed from waste fabrics and lace, toured the museum with the spouses of leaders in the city for COP31. Ministers, artists, and civil society representatives also attended the opening.
The Zero Waste Museum has opened to visitors as part of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Antalya. The museum presents the historical development of zero waste practices and recycling processes.
RIBBON MADE FROM WASTE FABRIC Emine Erdoğan came to the museum with the spouses of some heads of state and government who were in Antalya for COP31. Emine Erdoğan opened the museum by cutting a ribbon designed from waste fabric pieces and lace, then toured the museum with the spouses of leaders and guests.
The ribbon used at the opening was made from waste fabric pieces and lace SPOUSES OF LEADERS TOURED THE MUSEUM Emine Erdoğan and the spouses of leaders examined the sections explaining the historical development of zero waste practices, the environmental impacts of waste, recycling processes, protection of natural resources and reuse. Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation, provided information about the processes of preventing waste generation and recycling generated waste.
PHOTO IN FRONT OF THE DIGITAL TREE At the end of the tour, Emine Erdoğan had a photo taken with the spouses of leaders and guests in front of the “digital tree,” which highlights the importance of protecting nature. Representatives of civil society organizations working in the environmental field and young people also attended the opening program.
HERE ARE THE NAMES THAT ATTENDED THE OPENING The spouses of leaders and their relatives who attended the opening were:
Mariem Dah, spouse of the President of Mauritania; Valerie Whipps, spouse of the President of Palau; Francine Ntakarutimana, spouse of the President of Burundi; Philile Dlamini, spouse of the Prime Minister of Eswatini; Veronica Ruala Waletofea, spouse of the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands; Sajidha Mohamed, spouse of the President of the Maldives; Amina El-Dilawi, spouse of the Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity, and her daughter Estabrak Abdulhamid Al Dibeybe; Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, spouse of the Sultan of Pahang State, Malaysia; Leyla Aliyeva, daughter of the President of Azerbaijan, and her daughter-in-law Alyona Aliyeva. Members of the UN Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board also took part in the program.
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Fatma Şahin and COP31 Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş also attended the program. Actors Sinem Kobal, Yıldız Çağrı Atiksoy, Almeda Sayışman, Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, Berk Oktay, Tolgahan Sayışman and Görkem Sevindik, national freediver Şahika Ercümen and artist Sinan Akçıl also took part in the program.