Standing firm: Turkey’s President tells Albanese he won’t budge on rival COP summit bid as deadline approaches

Anthony Albanese has failed in his personal appeal to Turkey’s President to withdraw his bid for the COP climate summit next year — an event Australia is also fighting for — after Recep Tayyip Erdogan was defiant overnight.

The Prime Minister had written to President Erdogan in a last-ditch effort to get him to withdraw his Conference of the Parties bid, as the deadline fast approaches for a decision to be made on hosting rights.

Under the UN rules, the final decision on the host nation must be unanimous otherwise the conference defaults to the UN climate organisation’s headquarters in the Germany city of Bonn.

All parties have until the end of the current COP — which is taking place in Brazil’s city of Belem until November 21 — to resolve the impasse.

But the PM on Thursday revealed Mr Erdogan had hit back at his written request and in correspondence overnight remained strident in Turkey’s bid to host the event.

“President Erdogan has written to me in the last 24 hours. He is maintaining his position in response to Australia maintaining our position,” he told reporters in Sydney.

Canberra has offered to cohost the summit with an island nation, with Mr Albanese arguing the Pacific should be at the centre of global focus as they’re on the frontline of climate crisis.

“We’ll continue to advocate for Australia to host the COP in partnership with the Pacific and I believe it has the overwhelming support of the Western Europe group,” the PM said.

The location of COP rotates through five groups of countries, with the 2026 conference to be hosted by the 28-nation Western European and Others Group block — which Turkey and Australia form part of.

The decision must be made by consensus in the group. While Mr Albanese claims he has the overwhelming support of other nations, his bid will fail if Turkey does not withdraw.

Mr Albanese said he held talks with Pacific partners after Mr Erdogan’s correspondence but the group only reaffirmed their commitment to host it.

“I have spoken with Pacific neighbours in the last 24 hours including (PNG) Prime Minister (James) Marape and (Palau) President (Surangel) Whipps (Jr) of Palau. We’ll continue to argue our case for that bid,” he said.

“The Australian Government’s position is very clear. We want to host in partnership with the Pacific the COP.

“We want to see Australia host in partnership with the Pacific and that has the strong support of our neighbours.”

Neither Mr Albanese nor Mr Erdogan attended the leaders week at COP30 in Brazil — instead Australia sent Assistant Minister for Climate Change Josh Wilson.

Delivering an address at the summit, Mr Wilson raised the “present and existential threat” that Australia’s Pacific island partners face due to climate change.

“Because for the Pacific, climate change is not one subject among many for gradual negotiation, but a present and existential threat,” he told world leaders.

“This is a message that the world needs to hear, and a reality that the world needs to see. And that’s why we are bidding to host COP31 in partnership with the Pacific family.”

It’s unclear what compromises Australia has offered Turkey to withdraw and if Mr Erdogan has used his rival bid to make transactional demands.

An incentives package had reportedly been a tactic the United Kingdom’s then-leader Boris Johnston had used to secure the 2021 COp in Glasgow after Turkey had tried to host it.

Turkey claimed at the time the UK had agreed to support their 2026 bid if they abandoned their 2021 push against Glasgow, and were now breaking that promise by backing Australia.

The idea of splitting the 2026 conference between Australia and Turkey has been rumoured but it’s unclear if it formed part of Canberra’s talks with Ankara.

Penny Wong wouldn’t be drawn if carving the COP had been an offer on the table to Turkey when questioned on ABC Breakfast on Thursday.

The Foreign Minister, however, admitted difficulties in the negotiations had been “no secret”.

“It’s no secret these negotiations have been difficult and they have been difficult because Türkiye has been very focused on maintaining its bid,” Senator Wong told ABC.

“And we’ll continue to work with others and to engage with Türkiye to try and get the outcome that we want for Pacific island nations.

“The Pacific’s agenda should be more prominent in the global agenda. That has been really the impetus behind Australia’s bid to host this.”

The diplomatic dispute has sparked nerves in Germany, who will have to take on the conference under the rules of the treaty. Officials have been in talks with other nations to help resolve the impasse between Ankara and Canberra, with Bonn seen as a last resort location.

Regardless of the decision later this month, the long-running standoff means all three nations would be faced with a logistical headache due to the limited time to prepare.

It’s anticipated the conference — which will draw in tens of thousands of delegates — could cost Australia up to $2 billion.