11.11.2026 11:50
President Erdoğan welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as part of the COP31 Leaders Summit held in Antalya. Erdoğan’s addressing von der Leyen in English with “Good morning. Maşallah, how are you?” (Good morning. Maşallah, how are you?) was one of the notable moments of the welcome.
Hosted by Türkiye, the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Antalya, brings world leaders together. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who came to Antalya as part of the Leaders’ Summit. Candid moments of greeting between the two were captured on camera.
ERDOĞAN WELCOMES VON DER LEYEN WITH “MAŞALLAH”
President Erdoğan spoke English while welcoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Erdoğan’s words “Good morning. Maşallah, how are you?” marked the welcoming. The phrases, meaning “Good morning. Maşallah, how are you?” in Turkish, became a notable detail of the brief greeting between the two.
102 LEADERS EXPECTED TO ATTEND IN ANTALYA
COP31, held at the ANFAŞ Expo Center in Antalya between November 9 and 20, brings together representatives from different regions of the world on combating climate change. According to the program announced by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, a total of 102 leaders representing 95 countries from six continents and 7 international organizations are expected to attend the summit.
Participants include 37 heads of state, 35 heads of government, 8 vice presidents, 7 deputy prime ministers, and senior representatives at various levels. The European Commission is also among the international organizations participating at the leaders’ level.
LEADERS’ SUMMIT HOSTED BY ERDOĞAN
The COP31 Leaders’ Summit is being held on November 11-12 under the hosting of President Erdoğan. The main theme of the summit was determined as “Towards a Sustainable, Resilient and Fair Future.”
According to the program announced by the United Nations, heads of state and government are expected to announce their national climate commitments, participate in high-level roundtable meetings, and hold bilateral talks at the summit. The opening session also includes speeches by President Erdoğan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
CLIMATE FINANCE AND CLEAN ENERGY ON THE TABLE
Within the scope of COP31, topics such as combating climate change, transition to clean energy, sustainable development and climate finance are being addressed. On the first day of the Leaders’ Summit, high-level sessions on expanding electricity use and clean energy transition are planned.
The program will also evaluate green industrial investments, economic growth and employment. On the second day of the summit, accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement, access to climate finance, resilience of cities to climate change and adaptation policies will be discussed.
TÜRKİYE HOLDS COP31 PRESIDENCY
The presidency of the conference hosted by Türkiye is being carried out by Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum. Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen is assuming the presidency of the negotiations.
The conference, expected to be attended by approximately 100,000 people, will continue until November 20. In the process carried out within the framework of responsibilities shared by Türkiye and Australia, the aim is to transform countries’ climate targets into concrete practices.
ERDOĞAN HELD MEETINGS WITH WORLD LEADERS
Within the scope of COP31 contacts, President Erdoğan also met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud.
In his meeting with Guterres, Erdoğan expressed his satisfaction with Türkiye’s assumption of the COP31 Presidency and wished that the conference in Antalya would be a new starting point for solving climate-related problems. Regional and global developments were also discussed at the meeting.