The EU Delegation to Turkey and IKV İstanbul EU Information Center held EU-Turkey Youth Climate Forum in cooperation with Science Virus Organisation on 26 October 2021 on the occasion of EU Climate Diplomacy Week. The Forum brought together 100 young people, including EU Young Climate Ambassadors, from different cities of Turkey. Young people raised their voices for urgent and ambitious climate action. Concrete proposals developed by the young participants are envisaged to be presented to local leaders as the response of the Turkish youth to the climate crisis.

Following the opening speech by Şule Yücebıyık, founder of Science Virus, the Forum, which was moderated by Myra Project Director Damla Özer, continued with speeches by EU Delegation Climate Change Sector Manager Alper Acar, UNDP Turkey Head of Communications Dr. Faik Uyanık and Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Turkey Laurent Guirkinger who pointed out to the climate crisis and the importance of taking action mainly by the youth. 

In the second part of the EU-Turkey Youth Climate Forum a talk session with the Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, authors and young activists was held. Ambassador Meyer-Landrut stressed that the best conditions should be provided for a more liveable world and invited everyone, mainly the youth, to realize this transformation. He noted that EU was working with all partners including Turkey to reach the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement. Artist Zülfü Livaneli underscored the importance of the European values, their significance for the enlightenment of Turkey and their relevance with climate action. Author Buket Uzuner touched upon the connection between the climate crisis and the climate fiction in the literature. Youth climate activists Melisa Akkuş and Resul Hüseynzade stressed the importance of the youth in taking action against the climate crisis.

High school and university students participating in the Forum shared their views in workshops consisting of parallel working groups held under the themes of Climate and Policy, Climate and Advocacy, Climate and Urbanisation, Climate Justice and Rights, Climate and Gender Equality, Climate and Education, Professions, Specializations, and Climate and the Arts. In the final part of the Forum, the outputs of the parallel working group workshops in seven different themes were presented to the audience by the young people representing the groups.