All this needs to change. Turkey cannot alone prevent wildfires, but it can join the group of nations that are committed to climate action. The parliament should immediately ratify the Paris agreement as a first step. Curbing reckless construction and development that is already hurting Turkey’s forestland is a must, as is decommissioning coal mines in coastal areas. Given that Europe is its top trading partner, Ankara should take early action to synchronize its trade policies in line with the newly-emerging legislation on the European Green Deal, as Susi Dennison, director of the European Power program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and I have recently argued. Pain now means economic benefits down the road.
