The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP31) will take place at the Antalya EXPO Center from 9 to 20 November. At the summit, countries will negotiate the policies they are implementing to limit the climate crisis, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle the effects of the crisis.

However, climate summits are not merely platforms for negotiating climate policies; they are also arenas where journalists’ access to information, the right to protest and freedom of expression are put to the test. In recent years, at summits held in authoritarian countries such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Azerbaijan, journalists have faced restrictions on their ability to report the news, whilst protests have also been significantly curtailed.

Ahead of COP31, civil society organizations (CSOs) working in the field of freedom of expression and journalism professional bodies called on the host countries, Turkey and Australia, emphasizing that participants must be able to express themselves freely and take part in peaceful protests without fear of reprisal. The difficulties faced by journalists in Turkey during the accreditation process and the problems encountered by civil society organizations in attending the summit raise questions about the extent to which these safeguards can be guaranteed. Moreover, whilst restrictions on access to journalists’ X accounts became widespread in September, 11 journalists have been arrested in the past month and a half.

We spoke with Selin Uğurtaş, editor of İklim Masası—which aims to disseminate reliable information on the climate crisis—and Özdeş Özbay, one of the producers and presenters of the “Açık Gazete” program broadcast on Apaçık Radio, about the preparations for COP31, the obstacles faced by independent journalists, and what the summit means in terms of freedom of expression.

Is Turkey unprepared for COP31?

Selin Uğurtaş pointed out that there are no mechanisms in place to organize the participation of independent organizations working in the fields of the climate crisis and ecology at the summit, and that, despite their requests, they have not been included in the decision-making processes:

“Turkey was the last G20 country to ratify the Paris Agreement. Many developments – such as the ratification of the Agreement, the setting of the 2053 net-zero target and the passing of the climate law – have taken place within the last five years. Consequently, we were not a leading country in climate diplomacy. As Turkey was not part of any country group, it appeared rather isolated. It did not sign up to most commitments, and we struggled to understand where it stood on key issues. Finding itself in this position, Turkey was suddenly faced with the task of preparing to host the COP within a year. In fact, the host country is usually confirmed much earlier, giving nations more time to prepare. I believe the organizational chaos was partly due to this.

“This is the general picture, which affects everyone. However, there are also difficulties in accessing information and being included in the processes. In particular, organizations that produce independent information and policy report that there are no mechanisms defining participation processes and that, despite their requests, they have not been included in consultation processes. This also undermines Turkey’s claim that the COP31 process will be based on dialogue and consensus.”

Uğurtaş: “Attending COP31 is more difficult for independent journalists”

According to Uğurtaş, in Turkey – where the independent media and journalists are struggling to maintain their professional existence – there are additional barriers to participation in the summit:

“This year, a change has been made to the application model of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) regarding press accreditation. Previously, journalists would apply themselves using assignment letters and news articles they made, and each application was assessed individually. Now, however, the process is handled through organizations. An accredited media organization must assign journalists. This UNFCCC system therefore affects all journalists wishing to attend; however, in a country such as Turkey, where media ownership is politically shaped and independent media and journalists struggle to remain in the profession, it makes participation even more difficult for independent journalists.

“In particular, many journalists covering climate and environmental issues are forced to work independently or produce stories on a freelance basis. Whilst attending a two-week conference is already logistically costly, they may also find themselves having to take on additional burdens, such as ensuring the organization that has assigned them is accredited.”

COPs and the Flight from Democracy

Özdeş Özbay, meanwhile, highlighted the impact of COP summits being held in recent years in countries where press and freedom of expression have been restricted, on the climate movement’s capacity for action and the right to protest:

“Since the signing of the UNFCCC in 1992, the COPs—where signatory states gather—have come to be associated with being held in........

© P24