Turkey to intensify efforts for green transformation

ANKARA

Turkey will take additional measures in order not to lag behind in green transformation and digital economy, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, urging that recent forest fires and flash flood disasters have shown what kind of consequences Turkey may face in the future should necessary steps are not taken.

“As a country having ambitions at the global scale, we surely don’t step back from our objectives for a strong and stable growth. But we cannot accept disrupting our nature and exploiting our workforce. No matter how much technology that harms the environment makes our lives easier, it is nothing more than a weapon targeting human,” Erdoğan said at the opening ceremony of 26 factories at the Organized Industrial Site in the Turkish capital on Aug. 16.

“We have to be sensitive in protecting our nature while continuing our efforts to further develop our country.”

Erdoğan recalled that Turkey has recently suffered from major natural disasters like forest fires and flash floods that killed scores of people as a result of climate change. “We can never compensate our natural values once we lose them,” Erdoğan stressed.

That’s why the Turkish economy should transform into a greener and digital shape, Erdoğan said, “In the coming period, we will take some additional measures in order not to lag behind green economy. In addition, we will provide financial support up to 1 million liras for the digitalization of small and medium size entrepreneurs to establish a strong digitalized manufacturing ecosystem.”

Turkey should quit “wild growth” and adopt “compassionate growth” for the protection of the nature, he stressed, recalling that Turkey has openly seen how heat waves and other extreme weather conditions hit it. Everybody has equal duty in reducing carbon emissions, Erdoğan urged.

Erdoğan said Turkey’s recent successes in economy has upgraded it to a higher league of countries in terms of production and exports. “All the fundamental figures prove Turkey’s historical transformation of its economy. At a time when the world economy has shrunk three percent and trade 10 percent, our economy recorded growth,” he said.