Turkish first lady calls for global responsibility on International Zero Waste Day

ISTANBUL

Marking the International Day of Zero Waste, Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan on Sunday urged global cooperation for a sustainable future.

"Türkiye is a nation that approaches the world with a conscience-driven perspective,” Erdogan said in a statement on X. “We wholeheartedly believe that humanity is one big family living under the same sky.

“We can achieve a sustainable future through negotiation processes where all countries take part equally and effectively, ‘leaving no one behind’,” she said.

The first lady stressed that environmental protection is a shared duty, saying, “Just as the world is our common home, it must be our common struggle to save this home from the fire that has engulfed it.”

She concluded her message by celebrating International Zero Waste Day and expressing hope for "healthy and peaceful world where our resources remain abundant.”

In 2022, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on the zero-waste initiative presented by Türkiye, declaring March 30 International Day of Zero Waste.

The first lady has spearheaded Turkiye’s zero-waste efforts and their international spread.