At a time of deepening great-power rivalry, when energy security and economic resilience are growing in importance, the green transformation has moved beyond climate policy to become a defining element of international relations and the global economy. What this transformation means for Türkiye is also the focus of GRF’s Task Force Report, “The Geopolitics of Green Transformation and Türkiye,” to be released ahead of the COP31 panel. Prepared with contributions from experts in academia, government and the private sector, the report examines climate action together with its energy supply security, industrial competitiveness, international trade, finance and foreign policy dimensions. It aims to shed light on Türkiye’s position in the global green transformation, the opportunities and challenges it faces, and its strategic priorities.

Bringing the debates behind the report to COP31, GRF will convene the panel “Geopolitics of Green Transformation and Climate Action in a Fragmenting Global Order: Türkiye’s Strategic Options” on Thursday, 19 November 2026.

The panel will examine how intensifying geopolitical and geoeconomic competition among major powers is shaping global climate action, with a focus on energy security, the clean technology race, supply chains and the financing of the green transformation. Drawing on experts from a range of disciplines, it will assess the strategic options before Türkiye in an international environment where multilateral cooperation is becoming ever harder.

The panel’s opening speaker, moderator and panelists are as follows:

Opening Remarks
Zeynep Bodur Okyay – Chair of the Board of Directors, Global Relations Forum (GRF); Chair of the Board and CEO, Kale Group

Moderator
Bengisu Özenç – Founding Director, Sustainable Economics and Finance Research Association (SEFiA)

Panelists

• Ambassador (R) T. Timur Söylemez – President, Global Relations Forum (GRF)
• Prof. Levent Kurnaz – Professor of Physics and Director of the Center for Climate Change and Policy Studies (İklimBU), Boğaziçi University
• Meral Murathan – Executive Vice President and Sustainability Leader, Industrial Development Bank of Türkiye (TSKB)
• Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas – Secretary General, Economic Development Foundation (İKV)

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, 19 November 2026
• Time: 15:00–15:45 (local time)
• Venue: Antalya Expo Center, COP31 Green Zone, Koç Pavillion, Science and Technology Hub
• Language: English
• Panel Code: KOC-08