germany downplays turkish threat to quit paris deal

Germany has played down a threat from Turkey to abandon the Paris climate accord amid fears that countries could start using the US decision to quit the global deal to demand more money from wealthy nations.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, surprised the German hosts of the G20 summit on Saturday when he said his country might be less inclined to ratify the Paris agreement in the wake of the US decision, suggesting it could jeopardise funds promised to developing countries, according to a global media report Monday.

His comments came just hours after he approved a final communiqué at the meeting in Hamburg where the US was left isolated after 19 of the group’s 20 members pledged to fully implement an “irreversible” Paris agreement.

Germany’s environment minister, Barbara Hendricks, downplayed Mr Erdogan’s remarks yesterday saying: “It’s about access to international financial mechanisms”, rather than a fundamental rejection of the Paris accord.

Mr Erdogan said at a press conference France had promised Ankara it would be eligible for money to help it comply with the agreement when it was adopted by virtually every country, including Turkey, in Paris in December 2015.

However, he said US President Donald Trump’s decision last month to pull out of the Paris deal “steers a course” towards Turkey’s parliament not formally approving the agreement.

-SZ-