13.11.2026 11:51
Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin spoke to Haberler.com in Antalya, where she was for COP31. Noting that she explained at the conference the model Gaziantep has implemented in the field of climate for 11 years, Şahin warned, “We come from a civilization that says be as precious as water, but water wars will begin.” Şahin also drew attention to food waste, saying that fossil fuels cannot be abandoned all at once but must be reduced.
Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, who attended the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Antalya, answered questions from Haberler.com reporter Gizem Deniz Özkan. Şahin assessed the first 4 days of the conference, Gaziantep’s climate work, fossil fuels, food waste, and water resources.
“WE ARE TELLING WHAT WE HAVE DONE, NOT WHAT WE WILL DO”
Evaluating the first 4 days of COP31, Şahin said that as hosts they had the opportunity to compare the conference with previous COP meetings. Stating that the conference was “extraordinarily successful,” Şahin said they explained the climate model Gaziantep has implemented for 11 years in the sessions.
Şahin said, “Everyone keeps saying action, action, but we have already implemented it. Now they say implement it. We already implemented it in the Gaziantep model. We have been implementing it for 11 years. How did we make the climate master plan? How did we create clean energy? How did we ensure participation? How did we build our scientific infrastructure? In every session we tell what we have done, not what we will do.”
“FIRST WE FOUGHT EACH OTHER, THEN WE FOUGHT NATURE”
Arguing that the world is late in the fight against global warming, Şahin said, “We could not transform the economy and ecology, we could not ensure social justice and social peace. Therefore we remained very slow. First we fought each other, then we fought nature.”
Noting that the global temperature increase was reduced by the Paris Agreement but that the target should be 1.5 degrees, Şahin said, “If what was needed had been done when this was first discussed in Germany 31 years ago, we would be at 1.5 today. Today the glaciers would not be melting, and we would not be dealing with drought or floods. That is why preventive measures are very important. First precaution, then trust in God. Early warning systems are very important.”
FOSSIL FUELS: IT IS NOT POSSIBLE ALL AT ONCE
When reminded of the UN Secretary-General’s remarks that fossil fuels should be buried in history like the dinosaurs, Şahin said this was not possible all at once and that fossil fuel use needed to be reduced.
Şahin said, “2035 is tomorrow. Maybe we will not see it, but for a young person it is tomorrow. To reach 35 percent by 2035, we need to increase electrification and reduce fossil fuels.” Explaining that in their own cities they look at how much transition there has been to electric buses in transport and to natural gas instead of coal, Şahin stressed that everyone must first do their part.
“EVERY PLATE WE THROW AWAY EMITS GREENHOUSE GASES”
Drawing attention to the share of food waste in the climate crisis, Şahin claimed that wasted food causes nearly 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Şahin said, “This means food inflation, food security, and healthy nutrition, healing.”
Stating that the zero waste target is linked to halving food waste, Şahin said, “We need to take as much food on our plate as we will eat and reduce waste.”
“WHEN WATER DRIPS, WE MUST TREAT IT AS IF GOLD OR OIL WERE DRIPPING”
Answering the question about the protection of water resources, Şahin said:
“We come from a civilization that, when we see bread on the ground, picks it up from under our feet and puts it on our heads so that birds can eat it. We come from a civilization that says ‘may you be as precious as water,’ but water wars will begin. We truly need to know the value of water and use it without wasting it. First, we need to change our own life habits. When water drips, we must treat it as if gold or oil were dripping.”
“WE MUST DO WHAT FALLS TO US WITHOUT WAITING FOR OTHERS”
At the end of the interview, reiterating her climate call, Şahin drew attention to the importance of afforestation and protection of water resources. Şahin said, “Humanity destroyed it with its own hands. There is also a great opportunity to quickly repair what it destroyed with its own hands. With COP, we must do what is ours without waiting for others and protect the balance we have disrupted through climate justice and climate finance.”