29 April 2026

Geography Is Not Destiny, It Is Strategy

Türkiye sits where three fronts of the climate crisis intersect: Mediterranean vulnerability, energy security and finance. COP31 is an opening to turn that vulnerability into a coherent regional framework.

Key takeaways

  • Türkiye occupies a unique strategic position at the intersection of Mediterranean climate risk, energy security, and international finance.
  • The COP31 presidency offers a platform for Türkiye to establish and lead a new coherent regional framework for climate action.
  • Strategic geography allows the nation to pivot from being a vulnerable observer to a primary architect of regional climate policy.

Türkiye sits at the intersection of three climate-crisis fronts: Mediterranean climate vulnerability, energy security, and finance. COP31 gives Türkiye an opening to turn that vulnerability into a coherent regional framework — and to lead it.

Sources and related research