Turkey criticizes categorization of countries at climate talks

GLASGOW, Scotland

Turkey said Sunday that it is not possible to adopt any decisions at the UN Climate Change Summit, or COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland based on annexes or any kind of new categorization.

"We do not believe that annexes of the Convention reflect the current situation as regards to the development levels of countries," Mehmet Emin Birpinar, Turkey’s chief negotiator for climate change talks, said on Twitter, referring to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which lists Turkey in the Annex I group described as industrialized or developed countries.

Turkey ratified the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement as a developing country, and implementing it must not "harm its right to economic and social development," said a statement approved by parliament.

The country previously sent a proposal to the UNFCCC to have its name removed from the Annex 1 list, which is on the provisional agenda for the COP26 Climate Change Conference.

"We see a constant attempt to include the language reference to Annex 1 of the Convention,” said Birpinar.

Two groups are at the negotiation table in Glasgow.

Annex 1 countries are responsible for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and transmitting their data while Annex 2 countries are responsible for transferring technology and providing finances to developing countries in the fight against the climate crisis.

"Embedding annexes in the draft decisions we are working on here is an attempt to slow down our efforts,” Birpinar underlined.

"We do not accept any kind of categorization other than already agreed language in Paris -- that is developed and developing countries."

“Technical issues are very critical if we want to have a successful outcome by Nov. 12,” he said.

"We are here for completing a rulebook and we need to act in goodwill for progress."