(ECNS) -- Developing countries' right to development and their freedom to choose their own energy transition paths should be fully respected, while closer cooperation between China and Türkiye green industries could create new opportunities for both countries, a Turkish political party official said Thursday.
Serdar Üsküplü, deputy chairman of the Vatan Party, made the remarks at the China-Türkiye Dialogue on Ecological Civilization and Green Transition held in Istanbul during the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) which opened on Monday in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya.
The event is co-hosted by China News Service and the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, co-organized by China News Network and the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (PRCEE).
It also marks the second time China News Service has brought its “News Lounge” interview series to Türkiye.
Üsküplü said the concept of ecological civilization views humanity, development and nature as an integrated whole. He argued that different countries should have the right to independently determine their energy transition paths based on their national circumstances, domestic resources and production needs.
Nuclear energy is an important area for energy development and independence, Üsküplü said, who also mentioned that Türkiye aims to generate its first nuclear-powered electricity at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant by 2027. Once all four units are completed, the plant will have a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts and is expected to supply roughly 10 percent of the country's electricity needs.
On bilateral cooperation, Üsküplü proposed expanding collaboration in multiple areas: joint investment and technology cooperation on nuclear power plants; manufacturing solar panels, wind turbines and batteries in Türkiye; cooperation on clean-coal technologies; and joint research and engineering training programs between universities in the two countries.
He also stressed that environmental protection and economic development should not be treated as opposing goals, and environment should not be sacrificed for short-term economic growth, the development rights of nations should not be taken away in the name of environmental protection.
Achieving harmony between humanity and nature requires a development model that is state-led, planned, oriented toward public interests and based on shared benefits, he said.
Üsküplü said Türkiye was ready to strengthen cooperation with Eurasian countries, including China, to pursue common development and a future of blue skies, green mountains and independent development.
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