Türkiye marks World Environment Day

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye on Monday marked World Environment Day, a global annual event that encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment.

"There is only one thing that water, soil, air and all living things want to tell humanity: Don't consume nature, don't destroy it, let it live!" first lady Emine Erdogan said on Twitter.

"First of all, in order to live, we need to keep it (nature) alive. We must restore a balanced, measured and harmonious relationship with nature, our source of healing," she added.

Erdogan said there is still the opportunity to leave a livable world to future generations by spreading the transformation that started with the zero-waste project.

In 2017, under the auspices of Erdogan, Türkiye launched the zero-waste project to highlight the importance of eliminating waste in fighting the climate crisis.

The project has drawn international praise, with UN chief Antonio Guterres expressing his gratitude to Türkiye's first lady during a conference in New York last September.

Last December, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on the zero waste initiative presented by Türkiye, declaring March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste.

"I sincerely believe that every life changed by the love of nature will be a vital part of the solution," Erdogan said.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry tweeted: "Happy #WorldEnvironmentDay and #TürkiyeEnvironmentWeek! Let's protect our seas and forests for "Clean Sea, Clean World" and combat climate change together."

Separately, the National Defense Ministry said Türkiye cares about the fight against climate change, and continues its struggle with zero waste for the protection of the natural environment and the creation of sustainable living environments.

Held annually since 1973, the day has also become a vital platform for promoting progress on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals.