Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for creating a "livable environment for future generations", warning the global heating, desertification, mass extinctions of some animal races, and other disasters in recent years "are nature's defence against the brutality of mankind."
"Nature's language is silent, but its message is strong and clear: It responds to us as we treat it," Erdogan said in his message on World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5.
Established in 1972, the day spotlights a theme annually, hosted by a different nation each year.
For 2025, the theme is "Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration," emphasising land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience, with Saudi Arabia as the host.
In this year, the focus is on land restoration. Over 2 billion hectares are degraded, affecting 3.2 billion people, with 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil lost yearly.
Turkish Century
In his message, President Erdogan stated that World Environment Day is a call to build a greener, sustainable world for future generations.
"No one can put this responsibility on someone else's shoulders and no one can avoid fulfilling their duties. The era we are in is one in which the impact on the environment has reached its highest level in human history."
Erdogan said Türkiye supports projects that protect nature and take comprehensive steps to implement green energy, recycling, zero waste and nature-friendly urbanisation policies.
"We see our land, water, air and forests not as inheritance but as a trust for future generations. Fulfilling the requirements of this trust is one of our most fundamental duties," he said.
"On this special day, we aim to create a culture of life in harmony with nature in order to leave a cleaner nature to our children," he added.
Erdogan said, in the Turkish Century, Türkiye will achieve the goal of becoming a country "with the most livable nature in the world and where natural resources are used efficiently."
The Turkish leader also urged people to be sensitive about energy efficiency, waste management, nature protection and environmentally friendly consumption habits.
First Lady's leadership role
Emine Erdogan, Türkiye's First Lady, has championed environmental sustainability via the Zero Waste Project and associated initiatives.
Emine, who is also the chair of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, has emphasised reducing waste, promoting recycling, and raising awareness about environmental protection to foster a circular economy and combat climate crisis.
Under her leadership, Türkiye's Zero Waste Initiative, launched in 2017, has saved 552 million trees, prevented 150 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, and conserved 1.7 trillion cubic meters of water.
The initiative has recycled over 74 million tonnes of waste, generating economic savings of 256 billion lira ($6.7 billion).
