Turkey's growing solar power capacity is highlighting its efforts to expand renewable energy ahead of the upcoming UN climate summit, although its continued dependence on coal and other fossil fuels remains a major concern for climate campaigners.
Rows of solar panels spread across a vast area in the central province of Konya, where one of Europe's largest solar farms is helping the country demonstrate its progress in generating cleaner electricity.
However, climate advocates say Turkey's renewable energy ambitions are not matched by concrete plans to phase out coal, oil and gas, whose combustion releases greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
According to the Turkish Energy Ministry, coal remained the country's largest source of electricity last year, accounting for 33% of total generation. Solar and wind together contributed nearly 23% of electricity production.
Large-scale solar project
The town of Karapinar in Konya is home to the Kalyon Karapınar YEKA-1 Solar Power Plant, featuring more than 3 million solar panels spread across an area equivalent to 2,600 football fields.
Operational since 2023, the facility generates enough electricity annually to meet around 0.7% of Turkey's total power demand, its director Burak Dogru said.
The plant prevents approximately 1.75 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year, Dogru told The Associated Press, describing it as evidence of Turkey's efforts to shift its economy and energy sector towards cleaner sources.
However, Turkey's total greenhouse gas emissions reached 584.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2024, the latest year for which data is available, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.
Duygu Kutluay, a campaigner with the Beyond Fossil Fuels advocacy group, said Turkey had outlined plans for a major expansion of renewable energy.
"But these plans contain neither a roadmap for a coal phase-out, nor any planning for a phase-out of other fossil fuels, including gas," Kutluay cautioned, adding that this is "not compatible" with the country's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2053.
Turkey is also considering nuclear power as a way to reduce its energy dependence. Its first nuclear power plant is under construction along the Mediterranean coast, while additional reactors remain under consideration.
Climate summit faces growing scrutiny
About 265 kilometres (165 miles) from Konya, the Mediterranean city of Antalya will host the Nov 9-20 climate summit, bringing together tens of thousands of delegates, world leaders, business representatives and civil society members to discuss the implementation of climate goals.
Officially known as the Conference of the Parties, or COP31, the summit will take place amid growing concerns over energy security and the Iran war, which has driven up oil and gas prices and prompted countries to reassess their energy needs.
Many experts have recently expressed concerns that global efforts to tackle climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions are falling short.
The United States, the world's wealthiest country and second-largest carbon polluter after China, will again be absent from the summit after President Donald Trump withdrew the country from international climate negotiations.
The previous two climate summits also ended without significant agreement on reducing emissions, with their final declarations failing even to mention fossil fuels.
Turkey's Environment and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, who will preside over COP31, has said he wants the summit to focus on translating existing climate commitments into practical action rather than setting new targets.
As part of this effort, Turkey plans to promote a "climate implementation bridge" initiative aimed at helping countries turn their climate pledges into action by connecting them with financing, technology and other forms of support.
"Today, the world is not merely waiting for new decisions," Kurum said while presenting the summit's priorities earlier this year. "What the world wants is to see past decisions put into practice."
Turkey promotes environmental commitments
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has maintained that Turkey is committed to environmental protection and addressing climate change. First Lady Emine Erdogan has also championed a "zero waste" campaign to encourage recycling and more responsible resource use.
Kurum has said COP31 will also give priority to electrification and reducing waste and methane emissions.
However, the Climate Action Tracker, which assesses countries' progress towards the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, has rated Turkey's climate targets and policies as "critically insufficient."
The Paris Agreement aims to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial levels, requiring countries to develop policies to help achieve that target.
Human rights organisations have also accused Turkish authorities of disregarding environmental concerns and frequently arresting activists.
Earlier this year, a court annulled an environmental impact assessment for a proposed expansion of a coal-fired power plant at Afsin-Elbistan in southeastern Turkey. Environmentalists welcomed the ruling as a major victory.
However, plans subsequently emerged to expand another coal-fired power plant in Canakkale in the country's northwest.
Like other Mediterranean countries, Turkey is increasingly exposed to heatwaves, drought, water shortages, wildfires and flooding.
Last month, rainfall described as the heaviest in more than 80 years triggered severe flooding in Istanbul, the country's largest city, leaving eight people dead.
Controversy over COP31 host
Turkey was selected to host COP31 following a prolonged contest with Australia, which had also sought to organise the summit.
Under a compromise arrangement, Australia has been leading consultations to help determine the summit's agenda and will oversee the discussions.
Climate campaigners have criticised the decision to award the summit to Turkey because of its continued reliance on coal. Australia, a major coal exporter, has also faced criticism.
However, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell defended the decision in February, saying the fossil fuel status of a host country does not determine whether a climate summit succeeds or fails.
With "Turkey and Australia leading this process, there is every opportunity to deliver a very strong outcome," he said.