CHP's Tutdere brought it to the agenda: Fund received from the EU for 'climate change' went to AFAD

It turned out that a part of the funds transferred by the EU for 8 years to combat the climate crisis went to AFAD. CHP Adıyaman Deputy Atty. Abdurrahman Tutdere asked Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, “Why was this money transferred to AFAD, which has nothing to do with the climate crisis?” asked.

Member of the Presidency Council of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and CHP Adıyaman Deputy Atty. Abdurrahman Tutdere asked Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu about the fund contributions provided by the EU on climate change issues and the work done from the fund contributions received.

In the parliamentary question submitted by Çavuşoğlu with the request to be answered; Questions were asked about how many liras of support were received from the EU climate funds between 2013 and 2021, what activities were carried out within the scope of the support received, and which studies were planned to be carried out.

‘OUR PERSONAL GOVERNMENT DETERMINES ITS CLIMATE POLICIES ACCORDING TO THE CONJUNCTURE’

Expressing that the Paris Climate Agreement was arbitrarily held in the Presidency for 6 years despite its signing in 2015, and that it was brought to the parliament with a conjuncture priority decision, not climate priority, Deputy Tutdere said, “The Trump government suspended the Paris Climate Agreement and my own government gave up on bringing the agreement to the general assembly. 6 years have passed, the US government has changed, the Biden government has been formed, and it has declared that it will re-approve the Paris Climate Agreement and put it into effect. The conjuncture changed, and my government’s mind suddenly changed and sent it to the parliament for approval. If my government had prioritized the climate, it would have submitted the Paris Climate Agreement to the Parliament 6 years ago. We wish the Paris Climate Agreement, which was approved by the parliament and entered into force, to be beneficial for our country,

‘28.8 MILLION EUROS BACKGROUND RECEIVED BETWEEN 2013-2021’

On the other hand, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who answered Tutdere’s question regarding the climate finance aid provided by the European Union, said , “The total funding contribution of the EU for the projects of which the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and AFAD are beneficiaries in 2013-2021 on climate change is 28.8 million. Euro,” he said.

‘FUNDS USED OUTSIDE THE PURPOSE, TRANSFERRED TO AFAD’

Commenting on the answer given to the parliamentary question with the signature of Minister Çavuşoğlu, Deputy Tutdere said, “Turkey is one of the countries that benefit most from the direct climate finance aid provided by the European Union institutions. During the 8-year period, 28.8 million Euros of funds were received from the EU to carry out activities on climate change, but where this money went or what work was done with this money was not disclosed. The reason why these funds were transferred to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, which is an institution that is distant and unrelated to climate change issues, and what activities were carried out with these funds are kept secret.