Governor Koike,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government for providing me with this opportunity to speak
at this meaningful and timely forum.

The theme of “Time to Act” reflects the urgency of our
time.

Across the globe, we are witnessing frequent
heatwaves, floods, wildfires and other extreme weather events, affecting
communities, economies and people’s everyday lives.

We have seen examples here in Japan too. This year,
Japan experienced exceptional heat, while episodes of intense rainfall caused
significant impacts. Following the record rainfall in Chiba in August and
September, 26th typhoon of the year has made landfall last week in Kanto and
Tohoku regions.

These experiences remind us that climate change knows
no borders.

Since the challenge is global, our response must also
be global based on cooperation, solidarity and concrete action.

It is in this spirit that Türkiye is honored to host
COP31 in Antalya in November.

Our aim for COP31 is to create a platform where
commitments can be translated into concrete action, and where countries,
cities, businesses, academia and civil society can work together towards
practical solutions.

An important feature of this process is our
partnership with Australia. Türkiye holds the Presidency and leads the Action
Agenda, while Australia is leading the negotiations.

This partnership rests on close consultation and
shared responsibility, and we believe it can contribute to a more inclusive and
constructive COP process.

Türkiye considers climate change as an issue closely
connected with economic development, energy security, industrial
competitiveness and resilience.

Our long-term goal is to reach net-zero emissions by
2053. We are therefore working to transform our energy, industrial, transport,
agricultural and urban systems, while taking into account the particular
circumstances and development needs of our economy.

The green transition also requires substantial
investment, technology and capacity building. Access to affordable finance and
advanced technologies is particularly important.

Under the auspices of our First Lady, Her Excellency
Emine Erdoğan, the Zero Waste Initiative has become a model of good practice to
reduce waste at its source and boost recycling.

The initiative reached a major milestone when the
“Global Zero Waste Declaration of Goodwill” was first signed in New York in
September 2022 by First Lady H.E. Emine Erdoğan and UN Secretary-General
António Guterres.

In all these areas, Japan is an important partner for
us. Japan has valuable experience and know-how in clean technologies, energy
efficiency, disaster resilience, green finance and innovative industrial
solutions.

We would very much like to deepen our cooperation with
Japan and make use of this experience in the COP31 process.

We hope that COP31 will further strengthen the
exchange of knowledge and best practices among countries, and encourage closer
cooperation between local and national governments.

Türkiye looks forward to working closely with Japan
and other partners around the world in this shared effort since no country or
city can address climate change alone.

As we look towards COP31 in Antalya, let us turn
dialogue into action, reinforce international solidarity, and work together for
a more resilient and sustainable future.

I wish you a productive forum.

Thank you for your kind attention.