The Turkish parliament has withdrawn a controversial climate bill after fierce criticism from opposition parties and environmental groups who accused it of prioritising corporate interests over genuine ecological protection.
The proposed legislation, which aimed to introduce a carbon trading system, had already seen its first four articles passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly. However, it was pulled back following widespread condemnation. The draft is expected to be revised in parliamentary committees before being resubmitted in coming days.
Opponents argued that the bill, introduced by the government under the guise of addressing the climate crisis, was designed primarily to serve the interests of big business and lacked sufficient regulatory oversight.
“This was never truly a climate bill,” said Perihan Koca, an MP from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, in comments to Turkish daily BirGün. “It was a trade agreement masked in green. It was drafted to meet the needs of capital, not the ecosystem.”
Koca highlighted that the proposal was shaped through closed-door negotiations with influential business organisations such as TÜSİAD and MÜSİAD — elite industry groups often referred to as “bosses’ clubs” in Turkey — rather than through consultation with scientists or environmentalists.
According to Koca, the bill failed to establish independent oversight mechanisms and instead handed regulatory authority to ministries and government-linked entities, some of which included corporate representatives. The proposed “monitoring and advisory boards” reportedly included figures from major business lobbies, raising concerns over conflicts of interest.
Turkey, already facing intensifying environmental degradation and increasingly erratic weather patterns due to climate change, has come under growing pressure to enact effective climate legislation. But environmental activists and opposition parties insist that any future bill must be grounded in ecological science and democratic participation.
“Citizens, ecology organisations, urban movements, and health associations must be involved in drafting a real climate law,” Koca urged. She also called for a law based on the “Ecocide Bill” — a grassroots initiative previously submitted to parliament that would define ecocide as a crime and seek to hold perpetrators accountable.
While the withdrawal of the bill is seen as a victory for environmental advocates, Koca warned that this was only the beginning. “This marks an important step back, but we are now entering a period of uninterrupted struggle,” she said.
The revised draft is likely to return to parliament soon — and environmental groups have vowed to continue their resistance unless meaningful reforms are introduced.
