BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 10. A special visa will be applied for COP31 participants in Antalya, Head of the Support Services Department of the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Ahmet Sami Kulaklıoğlu, said at the event "COP31: Operations Management" held within the framework of the Baku Climate Action Week 2026, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
The official noted that visa procedures will be facilitated for all parties participating in COP31.
According to him, a special COP31 visa has been applied for participants who are confirmed in the registration system of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat.
"This visa can be applied for through the link in the e-mail sent with the registration confirmation of the Secretariat and through the diplomatic missions of Türkiye abroad. Starting next week, the corresponding link will also be available on the website," Kulaklıoğlu explained.
He pointed out that the official accreditation processes are carried out through the online registration system of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat, as in previous years. Media accreditation is also carried out through the same system.
Kulaklıoğlu said that preparations for food and catering services in the COP31 area are also ongoing.
"Our menus are prepared in various categories to cover vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, halal, and special dietary needs. We are building an accessible and comprehensive food infrastructure with 22 restaurants, 65 kiosks, and a sufficient number of vending machines in the COP31 area. Thus, all participants will be able to reach a food and beverage point every 80 steps," he emphasized.
According to him, since Antalya is both a tourism and agricultural city, extensive use of local products is planned.
"Considering the advantage that up to 80% of all food products, except coffee, can be supplied from Antalya and its immediate surroundings, we give priority to local procurement. Our goal is to provide food services with the lowest possible carbon footprint," Kulaklıoğlu noted.
He added that within the scope of the "7 Regions 7 Kitchens" project, gastronomy houses presenting cuisines from different geographical regions of Türkiye will be established in the Green Zone.
"These cuisines will include Mediterranean, Gaziantep, Black Sea, Kayseri, and Konya cuisines, as well as the Turkic world cuisines. In addition, a Zero Waste Kitchen will be established, which will operate on the basis of zero waste principles," he said.
The official noted that various events will be held in the Green Zone, including light shows, a Children and Youth Center, an Anatolian Garden, and a Climate School.
He said that all operations in both the Blue and Green Zones within the COP31 area will be carried out on the basis of a zero-waste approach.
"A Zero Waste Application and Experience Center will operate in the Green Zone, and a Zero Waste Museum will operate in the Blue Zone," A.S. Kulaklıoğlu stressed.
According to him, a special project is being implemented to implement zero waste principles in Solak, Demirçiler, and Ormana villages in Antalya, and it's planned to prepare these villages as "Zero Waste Villages".
Kulaklıoğlu announced that the gala dinner within the framework of the Leaders' Summit is planned to be held on November 11 at the NEST Congress Center, located close to the COP31 site and accommodation facilities.
Touching on the issue of accommodation, Kulaklıoğlu said that all partners have been identified by the COP31 Presidency within the framework of the Host Country Agreement.
"All relevant agencies can be reached through our official website. Our accommodation agency started operating on March 18, 2026, and started accepting reservations," he noted.
Besides, he called on the participants to book their accommodation through an official agency.
"All hotels we include in our booking system are selected from hotels that have a Sustainable Tourism Certificate, ISO 14001 environmental certificate, and Accessible Tourism Certificate, and have passed the inspection of the Turkish Ministry of Tourism. Also, at COP31, provisions on the protection of consumer rights were included in the accommodation obligations within the framework of the Host Country Agreement for the first time," Kulaklıoğlu added.
