Although Turkey’s first Climate Law has officially passed in Parliament, its content has sparked widespread backlash. The law is criticized for lacking concrete targets on phasing out coal and fossil fuels, omitting provisions for nature conservation, and regulating the carbon trading system without prioritizing public interest. Many have labeled it a “legal cover for environmental destruction.”
Turkey’s first Climate Law was approved by the Grand National Assembly, but it has faced sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil society organizations. Critics argue that rather than solving the real climate crisis, the law simply creates new profit avenues for private interests. The legislative process for the Climate Law was highly contentious: initially submitted to Parliament in February 2025, withdrawn by the government in March, and then brought back to the General Assembly in June 2025. This withdrawal was largely prompted by intense criticism from the opposition and civil society.
A New Era for Businesses
The new Climate Law establishes Turkey’s first Emissions Trading System (ETS). Under this system, businesses that directly emit greenhouse gases will be required to obtain permits from the Climate Change Presidency in order to continue operations. Each business will be obligated to surrender allocations corresponding to their verified annual emissions.
The law also introduces, for the first time, legal definitions for key concepts such as “climate justice,” “net zero emissions,” “just transition,” “carbon credits,” and “ETS.” It places both public and private sectors under a legal obligation to comply with climate measures taken in the public interest.
A Carbon Market Board will be formed to oversee the system’s functioning. This board will include representatives from the Ministries of Environment, Energy, Agriculture, Transport, and Finance, as well as from the Presidency, the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), the Capital Markets Board (CMB), and the Climate Change Presidency. Civil society organizations and universities will be allowed to participate in meetings only as advisors, without voting rights.
Severe Criticism from Civil Society
Nature Association Calls for Annulment
The Nature Association (Doğa Derneği) has issued a strong condemnation of the new Climate Law, calling for an appeal to the Constitutional Court for its annulment. The organization argues that instead of presenting a holistic approach that secures nature and life, the law offers a narrow framework prioritizing the carbon market. They assert that “according to Article 56 of the Constitution, everyone has the right to live in a healthy and balanced environment, and the state is obligated to protect this environment,” claiming the law violates constitutional rights.
The Nature Association’s primary criticisms of the law include:
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No binding plan for phasing out coal
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No stringent regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
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No provisions for protecting biodiversity, forests, agricultural lands, or wetlands
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A carbon trading system established without defining public benefit
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Decisions about the carbon market left to boards that exclude civil society and scientists
Climate Justice Coalition: “Climate Law Is a Pollution Laundering System”
The Climate Justice Coalition, formed by 80 participating organizations, declared that the proposed law “provides companies with a system to launder their pollution through money and legitimizes the plundering of nature.” CHP Bursa MP Orhan Sarıbal, speaking alongside the Climate Justice Coalition, stated: “If a law doesn’t aim to end coal, oil, and natural gas, then it’s not a climate law; it’s a business-friendly trade agreement.”
The Fossil Fuel Issue
The Climate Justice Coalition criticized the law, saying, “The proposal does not set a clear timetable for phasing out coal and other fossil fuels, nor does it contain concrete measures to end fossil fuel subsidies or halt new projects.” The law was also criticized for structural problems, such as including business associations like the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) instead of professional bodies like the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, and the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) instead of the Chamber of Meteorological Engineers.
Outcome: Polarization
Instead of fostering the anticipated consensus, Turkey’s first Climate Law appears to have deepened societal polarization. While the government presents the law as a “historic step,” the opposition and civil society label it a “cover for environmental destruction.”
