Türkiye is now poised to host the 2026 U.N. climate conference, COP31, after Australia agreed to step back from its campaign and support Ankara’s bid, ending months of deadlock within the U.N. regional group responsible for selecting the host country.
Under U.N. rules, the 2026 summit was due to be hosted by Western Europe and Other States, which includes both Australia and Türkiye.
But both Ankara and Canberra had insisted on hosting rights, preventing the required consensus and raising concerns that the summit could default to Bonn, Germany — home to the U.N. climate body — if no agreement was reached.
Negotiations during COP30 in Belem, Brazil, produced an unusual compromise: Türkiye will host the summit in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, a venue it had previously proposed, while Australia’s climate minister Chris Bowen will serve as COP31 president and oversee the negotiations.
A pre-COP meeting will also be held on a Pacific island.
The arrangement breaks with tradition, as COP presidents are almost always from the host nation, and the model for how responsibilities will be shared has yet to be tested.
Still, Australia and Türkiye both signaled confidence in the deal.
“Obviously, it would be great if Australia could have it all, but we can’t have it all,” Bowen told reporters in Belem. “This process works on consensus, and consensus means if someone objected to our bid, it would go to Bonn. That would mean 12 months with a lack of leadership… that would be irresponsible for multilateralism in this challenging environment.”
Bowen said he would carry out the core functions of the COP presidency, including appointing co-facilitators and preparing draft texts, while Türkiye will appoint a separate president responsible for venue operations, logistics and scheduling.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the agreement was an “outstanding result,” emphasizing that Pacific concerns would be “front and center” under Bowen’s leadership.
But reactions across the Pacific region, which Australia had pledged to co-host with, were mixed.
Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko told AFP, “We are all not happy. And disappointed it’s ended up like this.”
Solomon Islands leader Jeremiah Manele had earlier signaled similar reservations, saying he would be “disappointed” if Australia did not secure the summit.
Despite these concerns, diplomats at COP30 are likely to express relief that a consensus was finally reached, avoiding further delays and potential embarrassment for the U.N. climate process.
Türkiye has framed its hosting proposal as part of a broader diplomatic profile, and Antalya — which already hosts major international forums each year — is expected to serve as the main venue once the deal is ratified by more than 190 parties to the U.N. climate convention.
Turkish officials say the country aims to shape COP31 around inclusivity and balanced dialogue.
