Erdogan Calls Gaza War “Ecocide” at COP31 as Israel Rejects the Charge
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told world leaders at the COP31 climate summit on Wednesday that the war in Gaza is “not only a genocide, but also an ecocide,” urging the international community to recognize the environmental destruction of the Palestinian territory and to press Israel to allow more humanitarian aid in.
Erdogan was speaking at the opening of the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Turkey, where the United Nations climate conference is being held from November 9 to 20, bringing together 196 countries and the European Union. The Turkish president said he had made the same point in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, and he repeated the charge to applause from world leaders and climate envoys in the hall.
“Centuries-old olive trees have been cut down, the soil and water have been contaminated, and cities have been turned into enormous piles of rubble,” Erdogan said, describing the damage he said the war has done to Gaza’s land and environment.
A charge Israel firmly rejects
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded within hours, rejecting Erdogan’s remarks and accusing him of using an international forum to advance what it called his “anti-Israel campaign of lies.” The ministry also accused the Turkish president of supporting Hamas.
Erdogan’s use of the word “ecocide” was a political characterization of the environmental destruction, not a judicial finding that a crime of ecocide had occurred. His use of the word “genocide” also reflects his own position and that of his government. A United Nations-backed panel of independent experts concluded last year that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel has rejected.
The environmental evidence
The environmental damage Erdogan described has been documented by the United Nations Environment Programme. In an assessment published on September 23, 2025, UNEP reported extensive damage to Gaza’s soil, freshwater systems, vegetation, buildings and coastal environment, based on remote sensing and field observations.
The report estimated that 78 percent of Gaza’s approximately 250,000 buildings had been damaged or destroyed, generating about 61 million tonnes of debris. Its remote sensing assessments showed that by May 2025, more than 97 percent of tree crops, 82 percent of annual crops, 95 percent of shrubland and 89 percent of grass and fallow land had been damaged.
Erdogan also pointed to the suffering of displaced Palestinians as winter sets in. Torrential rain has flooded around 70,000 tents across the Gaza Strip in recent days, leaving families sheltering in water and mud. The Turkish president accused Israel of deliberately blocking the delivery of residential containers to Gaza, saying Ankara was ready to send them as temporary shelter. He called on the international community to ensure the unhindered passage of humanitarian aid convoys into the territory.
Why this matters
Erdogan’s remarks put the war in Gaza at the center of a climate summit that was meant to focus on cutting emissions and financing clean energy. As host of COP31, Turkey has used the presidency to press its case that developed nations should accept greater responsibility for the climate crisis, arguing that those who have used up most of the global carbon budget should lead on reductions and finance.
The clash also underlines how deeply the Gaza war continues to divide the international community more than three years after it began. With Israel absent from the summit and Turkey holding the presidency, the Antalya stage gave Erdogan one of his largest platforms yet to press his case — and guaranteed a sharp public response from Jerusalem.
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Latest developments
World leaders began formal talks at COP31 this week, seeking agreement on concrete steps to curb global warming after a year of deadly floods, heat waves and other climate-related disasters. The summit runs through November 20, and negotiators are expected to focus on emissions cuts, climate finance for developing countries and adaptation measures.
Erdogan has said Turkey designed its COP31 presidency to reflect the country’s Anatolian heritage and to keep the conference’s own environmental footprint as small as possible. He also noted that November 11 is Turkey’s National Afforestation Day, an initiative under which millions of saplings have been planted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “ecocide” mean?
Ecocide generally refers to large-scale, long-term destruction of the natural environment. Erdogan used the term as a political description of the damage to Gaza’s land, water and vegetation. It is not a formal legal finding, and no court has ruled that ecocide occurred in Gaza.
What did the UN environment report find in Gaza?
The United Nations Environment Programme’s September 2025 assessment found that 78 percent of Gaza’s roughly 250,000 buildings had been damaged or destroyed, producing about 61 million tonnes of debris. It also found that by May 2025, more than 97 percent of tree crops and 82 percent of annual crops had been damaged.
How did Israel respond to Erdogan’s remarks?
Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations, saying Erdogan was using an international forum to push what it called his “anti-Israel campaign of lies,” and accused him of supporting Hamas.
What is COP31?
COP31 is the 31st United Nations climate conference. It is being held in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20, 2026, with 196 countries and the European Union taking part. Leaders from 95 countries attended the opening leaders’ summit.
Erdogan’s “ecocide” charge is unlikely to change positions in either Ankara or Jerusalem, but it guarantees that Gaza’s environmental toll will be part of the COP31 debate. With the summit running for another week and winter conditions worsening for displaced families in Gaza, the question of humanitarian access is set to remain in focus alongside the climate negotiations.
Related: COP31 Opens in Antalya With Call to Turn Climate Promises Into Action | Israel’s Security Cabinet Reportedly Orders Military to Prepare for Possible Iran Strike | Israeli Strike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza Kills Six, Including a Surgeon | Trump Says Iran War Is “Effectively Over”
Sources
Associated Press (via Netscape News), “Turkey’s president calls the war in Gaza an ‘ecocide’ at the UN climate summit,” November 11, 2026; Middle East Eye, “Erdogan condemns Gaza ‘ecocide’ at Cop31 climate summit in Turkey,” November 11, 2026; Anadolu Agency (via Azernews), “Erdogan urges world leaders to turn climate pledges into action at COP31,” November 11, 2026; The Jerusalem Post (via Zamin.uz), reporting on Erdogan’s COP31 address and Israel’s response, November 12, 2026; United Nations Environment Programme, “Environmental Impact of the Conflict in the Gaza Strip,” September 23, 2025.
