Turkish, UK embassies in Turkmenistan organize climate, ecology festival

By Burc Eruygur and Merdan Velhanov

ISTANBUL / ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AA) - The embassies of Türkiye and the UK in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat organized a climate and ecology festival on Oct. 15, a statement by the British mission said on Thursday.

“Hundreds of likeminded people gathered at the joint Turkmen-Turkish school to take part in the Second Climate and Eco-Festival,” the UK Embassy in Asghabat said.

The event included a range of activities including live entertainment, eco-friendly workshops for children, solar panels display, music, dancing, guest speakers and presentations.

A photo exhibition and film screenings were also held to help more people learn to act in combating climate change.

"Our planet is actually under the threat of humanity. Humanity sees the world as a garbage dump. We are throwing away our only home into the bin," Turkish Ambassador to Ashgabat Togan Oral said at the festival.

"We cannot inherit to our children a world that is polluted with irresponsible consumption and where natural resources are depleted," Oral said, adding that waste pollutes the environment and costs billions of dollars to the global economy.

He mentioned Türkiye’s efforts to protect the environment, reminding that the Zero Waste Project launched in 2017 by Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan aimed to “recycle 60 percent of all recyclable waste and achieve zero waste by 2053."