Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change

History

The Ministry was formed in 1983 through the merger of the Ministry of Public Works (, formed 3 May 1920) and the Ministry of Development and Housing (, formed 1958). The result was the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (), which was renamed to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation in 2011. In 2021 climate change was added to the name.

Responsibilities

A publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey on 3 April 2012 reduced the fire safety inspection rights of municipal fire brigades, transferring all matters requiring interpretation or clarification to the Turkish Ministry of Environment.

The ministry is responsible for combating environmental issues in Turkey. A National Environment Agency was established in 2020 but by 2022 had not become operational.

According to the ministry the 2018 building standards amnesty raised 24 billion lira (4.2 billion USD), however as of 2023 it is not yet known what proportion of the buildings that collapsed in the 2023 quake had benefitted from building standards amnesties. After the 2023 earthquake President Erdoğan decreed that the ministry would be the only decision maker for new housing projects in earthquake-hit areas.

Directorates

Directorate of Climate Change

Formed in 2021 the Directorate of Climate Change is responsible for climate change in Turkey. Despite the Energy Ministry being represented on the Climate Change and Air Management Coordination Board, in 2018 the European Commission criticised the lack of co-ordination between the climate change policy and energy policy of Turkey. the chief climate change negotiator is Fatma Varank, a Deputy Minister of Environment, who has a background in housing.

References

References

1. (4 June 2023). "Yeni Kabine listesi açıklandı, bakanlar belli oldu! İşte yeni Bakanlar Kurulu isim listesi".
2. "Our History".
3. "'Climate change' added to the name of Turkey's Ministry of Environment and Urbanization".
4. (2025-01-21). "Müteahhitler istedi, itfaiyenin denetim yetkisi alındı!".
5. "Türkiye Report 2022".
6. (2023-02-14). "Erdoğan under fire as shoddy Turkish building standards exposed by earthquake". Financial Times.
7. Buyuk, Hamdi Firat. (2023-02-24). "Erdogan Allows Faster Quake Housing With Presidential Decree".
8. iklim.gov.tr. "About Us - İklim Değişikliği Başkanlığı".
9. [https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/20180417-turkey-report.pdf Turkey 2018 Report p92], European Commission, 17 April 2018
10. iklim.gov.tr. "Deputy Minister - Climate Change Chief Negotiator - İklim Değişikliği Başkanlığı".