The head of the European Union delegation to Turkey on Wednesday praised the country’s efforts in the fight against climate change. 

Speaking at a conference with the theme “Tackling Climate Change,” which was organized by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and attended by first lady Emine Erdogan, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut began his address by offering his condolences for the 13 Turkish citizens who were martyred by the PKK terror group in Gara, northern Iraq.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Sunday that their bodies were found during Operation Claw-Eagle 2, a Turkish counter-terrorism operation in the region.

Meyer said climate change poses a global and severe threat that requires a global response and underlined the importance of the Paris Agreement.

“I hope this agreement will also be approved by Turkey, who is already contributing to the fight against climate change,” he said.

Praising Turkey’s improving performance in waste management, increasing utilization of renewable energy sources and fight against the county's deforestation, Meyer-Landrut stressed that Turkey and the EU, as strong economic partners, have common interests in fighting together against climate change./aa