Turkish first lady Emine Erdoğan, chairwoman of the U.N. High-Level Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, met on Sept. 21 with Rosangela “Janja” da Silva, the wife of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The meeting between the two first ladies was held behind closed doors at the Turkish House in New York.
In a post on her social media account, Erdoğan said: “We met with Ms. Rosangela Lula da Silva, the esteemed wife of the Brazilian president, at the Türkevi. We discussed issues on our shared agenda,
particularly environmental challenges and efforts to combat the climate crisis, as well as preparations for the COP31 process.”
Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, Zero Waste Foundation Chairman Samed Ağırbaş and COP30 President and Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago also attended the meeting.
In another social media post, Erdoğan said she also met with Fatima Maada Bio, the wife of Sierra Leone’s president and chairwoman of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan called for curbing excessive consumption and waste at the opening of New York Climate Week on Sept. 21, saying climate action required changes in everyday habits.
Erdoğan acknowledged the role of fossil fuels and industrial emissions in climate change while questioning the unrestricted demand driving production.
