At the "Leave a Mark on the Future Mukhtars Gathering" organized in cooperation with the Zero Waste Foundation and the Antalya Governorate, the pioneering role that mukhtars (neighborhood and village heads) will play in strongly preparing Antalya for the COP31 process locally and disseminating the zero waste approach to neighborhoods and villages was discussed.
Speaking at the program, Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, stated that COP31, to be held in Antalya in 2026, is an important opportunity to make the city's efforts in environment, climate, and sustainability visible at the international level.
The Zero Waste Movement, carried out under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan—Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chairperson of the United Nations Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, and Honorary Chairperson of the Zero Waste Foundation—continues its efforts to strengthen climate action at the local scale in the process leading up to COP31. The "Leave a Mark on the Future Mukhtars Gathering" organized in this context was an important meeting in terms of including neighborhoods and villages in Antalya's COP31 preparations.
At the program attended by Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin, Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş, Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO) President Yusuf Hacısüleyman, Antalya Blue Mediterranean Initiative Coordinator Ebru Şahin, district governors, mukhtars from across the province, and members of the press; topics such as expanding zero waste practices locally, preventing plastic pollution, protecting natural areas, and preparing Antalya for the COP31 process were evaluated.
COP31 Preparations Start in the Neighborhoods
In his opening speech at the program, Samed Ağırbaş pointed out that the fight against climate change should not be limited to international meetings alone but must be strengthened locally with the participation of all segments of society.
Stating that mukhtars form a strong bond between citizens and public institutions, Ağırbaş recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s words, "Our mukhtars are our frontline representatives," and emphasized the importance of local ownership in the COP31 process.
Ağırbaş stated that a new process to place mukhtars at the center of environment and climate efforts has been initiated under the vision of President Erdoğan and the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, and expressed that zero waste training will be provided to all mukhtars serving in 81 provinces under a cooperation protocol signed with the Ministry of Interior.
"Our Mukhtars Are the Strongest Local Stakeholders of COP31 Preparations"
Stating that mukhtars will play a critical role in expanding the Zero Waste Movement to neighborhoods and villages, Samed Ağırbaş said, "We are making great efforts to spread the Zero Waste Project, initiated by First Lady Emine Erdoğan in 2017, to our neighborhoods and villages across Türkiye's 81 provinces. In this context, our most important companions and stakeholders are you, our mukhtars serving in our neighborhoods and villages."
"COP31 is a Great Opportunity for Antalya"
"COP31 is a very important meeting where 193 countries will participate. This organization is a great opportunity to promote Antalya more strongly on the world stage. The people coming here will be ministers from their own countries and important names from the technology sector. We sincerely believe that Antalya will develop new collaborations, contribute to its tourism potential, and be more strongly represented on the world stage by attracting more investments."
"We Have a Responsibility Towards This Geography"
In his speech, Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin stated, "We are truly experiencing the privilege of living in a very special geography in Antalya, a geography created by God as a paradise on earth. But this also comes with responsibility. We have a responsibility to leave this heritage we received from our grandfathers to our children at least as we found it, or even better."
"Plastic Pollution is an Important Topic of the Climate and Environment Struggle"
Drawing attention to the risks posed by environmental pollution and plastic waste, Ağırbaş stated that improper waste management has significant consequences not only for the cleanliness of cities but also for the protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
"One of the biggest problems we see across Türkiye's 81 provinces is that our citizens throw their garbage into rivers and streams instead of garbage containers. The garbage we throw away does not disappear; it reaches the seas via streams and rivers. Today, in some parts of Antalya's beaches, our citizens can no longer swim due to plastic waste," Ağırbaş said, emphasizing the need to work shoulder to shoulder against plastic pollution.
"Waste Doesn't Disappear, It Enters the Cycle"
Touching upon the environmental impacts of greenhouse waste and waste from agricultural production, Governor Şahin said, "Where does greenhouse waste go? Where do the replaced greenhouse plastics go? Where do the remaining plant wastes of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants go? If we cannot manage these, garbage thrown from the most remote house reaches the stream, the river, and finally the sea. It doesn't disappear; it circulates."
Also addressing plastic pollution in the Mediterranean, Şahin expressed that a strong waste management understanding at the local and regional scale needs to be developed to protect Antalya's coastal ecosystem.
Mukhtars Will Be the Pioneers of Local Climate Action
During the program, the pioneering role mukhtars will assume in strengthening environmental and climate awareness at the neighborhood scale was discussed. Evaluations were made on preventing waste generation, separating waste at the source, increasing recycling rates, reducing plastic pollution, and popularizing sustainable living habits.
Participants were also informed about the activities carried out within the scope of the Zero Waste Foundation and the Antalya Blue Mediterranean Initiative. Mukhtars also took the floor to share the environmental problems they encounter in their neighborhoods and their solution proposals.
Antalya Prepares for COP31 Locally
The "Leave a Mark on the Future Mukhtars Gathering" revealed the importance of conducting Antalya's COP31 preparations not only at the international and national levels but also at the neighborhood and village scale.
In this direction, it is aimed to prepare Antalya for COP31 with strong local ownership, widespread zero waste practices, and neighborhoods with high environmental awareness. The Leave a Mark on the Future Mukhtars Gathering stands out as one of the important steps contributing to the inclusion of local actors in the process and strengthening Antalya's climate action capacity in line with this goal.
