Turkiye’s climate minister: New temperature record set in Eskişehir as mercury hits 49.5°C

Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Mehmet Özhaseki announced that Turkiye‘s new temperature record was set in Eskişehir due to the heatwave effecting parts of the country.

Minister Özhaseki announced on social media platform Twitter that the 49.5°C temperature recorded in Sarıcakaya district of Eskişehir on August 15 was the new national temperature record.

Basing his post on the data of the ministry, Özhaseki stated that the previous record was measured in Cizre district of Şırnak with 49.1°C on 20 July 2021.

Data released by the General Directorate of Meteorology the previous day showed that temperatures in Hatay‘s Hassa district had reached 50°C on August 14, setting a new national record.

‣ New national temperature record broken in Turkiye: Hatay’s Hassa district reaches 50°C

Minister calls for climate conscience

Referring to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) that Turkiye submitted to the United Nations as required of after becoming a party in 2021 to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Minister Özhaseki said, “In this sense, I call on everyone to show sensitivity in line with our 2053 Net Zero Emission and Green Development targets put forward by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to combat climate change.”

On the other hand, within the scope of the Paris Agreement, countries that are party are expected to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, and reach the net zero emission target in 2050. The latest NDC submitted by Turkiye to the UN, however, indicates that the country’s emissions will continue increasing and peak in 2038, and the net zero target will be achieved in 2053.

Turkiye’s stance on reducing emissions from the use of fossil fuels, particularly the continued use of coal-fired power plants, has been harshly criticized by UN officials and countries around the world.

Climate scientists evaluating Turkiye’s NDC also point out that with a climate policy that envisages a peak in emissions in 2038, it will be impossible for Turkiye to achieve the net zero target in 2053.

‣ ‘With Declaration of National Contribution submitted, it has become impossible for Turkiye to reach net zero in 2053’