Search

24. (...) Privatization activity has continued, largely focused on energy (mainly hydroelectric power plants), maritime ports and marinas, and sugar factories. (...)

1.5.   Türkiye is located in the Mediterranean Basin, one of the regions in the world expected to be most affected by climate change.[9] Recent floods, forest fires, and sea pollution have also shown how highly vulnerable the country is to the impacts of climate change. In addition, energy supply disruptions and fuel price increases because of geopolitical conflicts have underscored the urgency of climate action in support of energy security and affordability. As part of its efforts to tackle these challenges, Türkiye adopted its Green Deal Action Plan in August 2021 to comply with the European Union's European Green Deal. Some of the main actions under the Green Deal Action Plan include limiting carbon emissions; promoting green financing and circular economy; encouraging clean, economic, and safe energy supply; supporting sustainable agriculture; and fostering sustainable smart travels.[10]
[9] The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates an increase of 2.5°C-4°C in annual average temperatures in Türkiye, and that the country will be hotter and more arid and have a more uncertain climate structure in terms of precipitation. Iklimin (2019), Türkiye's Climate Change Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework.(...)
[10] M. Arseven (2021), "Turkey Adopts Action Plan to Comply with European Green Deal", Lexology, 17 August. (...)

1.6.   Türkiye ratified the Paris Agreement in October 2021 and has committed to net zero emissions by 2053.[11] Nonetheless, there is no target for phasing out coal, the most polluting way of producing electricity. Moreover, in June 2022 a new coal-fired power plant became operational. According to the authorities, Türkiye's new long-term National Energy Plan is soon to be published.
[11] World Bank Group, Türkiye: Country Climate and Development Report. (...)

Table 1.4 FDI stock by sector and origin, 2016-21
(USD million)
By sector: Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation: (2016) 0.0, (2017) 0.0, (2018) 0.0, (2019) 0.0, (2020) 0.0, (2021) 0.0
(...)

2.2.   (...) The President has been given the authority to appoint and dismiss ministers and the Vice President(s) and high-level state officials without parliamentary approval, issue presidential decrees (see below), as well as to declare a state of emergency, subject to limitations.[3] (...)
[3] Under the Constitution as amended in 2011, the Council of Ministers under the Chairmanship of the President could declare a state of emergency in the event of natural disaster, dangerous epidemic diseases, or a serious economic crisis. (...)

2.9.   (...) Various changes were made to the organization of Ministries and public institutions; among the changes relevant to economic, trade, and investment policy are:
(...)
• The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization was renamed the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Its competences were enlarged to include a new mission on climate change. It took over the Ministry of Interior's responsibilities for local administrations, the Ministry of Finance's responsibilities for public/treasury owned properties, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's duties for tackling desertification and erosion and also for housing the General Directorate of Meteorology. The Turkish Environmental Agency was established under the Ministry to combat environmental pollution, and the Climate Change Presidency was established as an affiliated institution; (...)
• Within the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the General Directorate of Mining Affairs and the General Directorate of Petroleum Affairs were merged to form the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs as the Ministry's affiliated institution. (...) Additionally, the Clean Energy Research Institute and the Energy Research Institute operate within this institution; (...)

2.17.   (...) Türkiye accepted the 2014 Protocol concerning the Trade Facilitation Agreement on 16 March 2016 and it participated in the following Joint Statement Initiatives issued at the WTO's 11th Ministerial Conference in December 2017: (...) and trade and environmental sustainability. It supported the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade and is a participant in the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions. During the 2022 WTO 12th Ministerial Conference, the Minister of Trade of Türkiye emphasized the importance of strengthening and reforming the multilateral trading system, including by reforming the dispute settlement mechanism, updating the WTO rule-book in certain fields such as agriculture, establishing new rules to reflect today's global conditions, and delivering solutions to pressing global issues including pandemic-related problems, global overfishing, and food security.

2.21.   (...) In recent years, some RTAs have included provisions on the environment (Chile, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, and EFTA), (...)

2.22.   In 2016, the European Commission proposed to modernize the Türkiye-EU Customs Union to extend bilateral trade relations to services, public procurement, and sustainable development. (...)

Table 2.2 Entry into force of new, and expansion of existing RTAs, 2016-22
(...)
Trading partner(s): EFTA[c]
Developments: Entry into force of the modernized RTA between Türkiye and EFTA to include services, a new chapter on trade and sustainable development and updated agricultural agreements with Switzerland – 1 October 2018 (...)
[c] EFTA comprises Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
(...)