Director of Climate Change Prof. Halil Hasar met with Dr. Walid Abdelwahab, Türkiye Director of the Islamic Development Bank.

11 April 2026

Director of Climate Change Prof. Halil Hasar met with Dr. Walid Abdelwahab, Türkiye Director of the Islamic Development Bank.

The meeting focused on the preparations for COP31, which will be hosted by Türkiye, with both parties emphasizing the critical importance of cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank. Expressing his satisfaction with the visit, Director of Climate Change Hasar highlighted that collaboration between the COP31 Presidency and multilateral development banks marks a vital step toward unlocking new opportunities.

The discussions explored strategic partnerships with multilateral development banks, access to climate finance, and the thematic roadmap Türkiye has drafted for its COP31 agenda. During the meeting, Director Hasar made the following remarks:

“Cooperation between the COP31 Presidency and multilateral development banks is a vital step.”

“I believe this meeting represents a significant milestone in fostering strong cooperation and creating new opportunities between the COP31 Presidency and multilateral development banks. Organizing COP31 is a comprehensive and demanding process. We must simultaneously manage a wide array of details, including regulations, technical specifications, and compliance with UN standards. Türkiye possesses the experience and state tradition necessary to turn this challenging COP31 process into a success. The COP31 process essentially consists of two main pillars: negotiations and the action agenda. While negotiations often involve prolonged political processes, the action agenda moves much faster and delivers direct impact. As Türkiye, we aim to accelerate the action agenda and take concrete steps.”

“Türkiye’s action agenda to be announced at month’s end”

Announcing that Türkiye’s action agenda comprises nine main thematic areas, Director Hasar noted that the roadmap will be launched globally via the official COP31 website at the end of the month. Following a feedback period, it will be officially unveiled in Bonn. Full Support and Focus on "Green Sukuk" from the Islamic Development Bank Islamic Development Bank Türkiye Director Abdelwahab thanked Director Hasar for the reception and reaffirmed the Bank's support for Türkiye’s climate vision.

Emphasizing that access to climate finance remains the foremost global challenge due to the slow pace of existing mechanisms, Director Abdelwahab noted that food security, climate-resilient cities, and energy transition are among the Bank’s core priorities. He expressed full alignment with Türkiye on these fronts.Addressing the need for alternative methods to overcome financing bottlenecks, the meeting highlighted that the Islamic Development Bank could support countries in "Green Sukuk" issuance, noting the transformative role these innovative instruments will play.

Asserting that the Islamic Development Bank stands ready to assist throughout this process, Director Abdelwahab stressed the importance of convening technical teams from both organizations as soon as possible to transfer previous COP expertise to Türkiye. Director Abdelwahab underscored the significance of Türkiye hosting the COP as a member state and extended an invitation to Director Hasar to attend the Islamic Development Bank’s annual meeting.

The meeting was also attended by Islamic Development Bank Official Tolga Yakar and Mürsel Akbulut, Head of the Climate Finance and Incentives Department.