ISTANBUL (AA) – The introductory meeting of the Zero Waste Forum 2026, which will be organized under the auspices of the Governorship of Istanbul and under the coordination of the Zero Waste Foundation, was held at Ataturk Airport. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül and Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş met with members of the press for the promotion of the Zero Waste Forum, which will bring together representatives from 183 countries, more than 20 heads of state, more than 120 ministers, more than 200 mayors, international organizations, business world, academia and civil society representatives as of tomorrow.
In his speech here, Governor Gül touched upon the importance of the Zero Waste Festival and said that they did not remember a non-governmental organization organizing an event on such a large scale. Gül stated that the foundation continues its work by growing like a snowball turning into an avalanche, and added: “We know that this is not a coincidence. As a result of the vision and patronage of the esteemed First Lady Emine Erdoğan and the diligence of President Samet and his colleagues, the foundation carried out these works with its feet on the ground.
These are important, but what is even more important is that the idea of zero waste is real and has a response in society. he said. Noting that the Foundation is a non-governmental organization movement that aims to eliminate waste by keeping all 86 million people involved and wants to do this on a global scale, Gül emphasized that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife Emine Erdoğan had an influence on the participation of representatives from 183 countries in the forum.
Governor Gül stated that eliminating waste is one of the instruments that can eliminate many negativities such as insufficient food, non-organic food, pollution of water and soil, wars, migration problems, and stated that the problems in the world arise from the fact that resources are limited and needs are endless and unlimited. Stating that the Zero Waste movement has made Türkiye a country that takes the society back to the past, reconciles it with values, eliminates waste and has the last word on the world, Gül said, “As the Governorship of Istanbul, we are extremely pleased to host such a non-governmental organization and event.” he said.
– We brought the Istanbul Zero Waste Week brand to our city. Zero Waste Foundation President Ağırbaş noted that they hosted more than 200 thousand people on the first day of the Zero Waste Festival and said that the festival will continue with enthusiasm. Ağırbaş stated that they are making strong preparations to make Istanbul the capital of zero waste activities under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan and said, “We brought the ‘Istanbul Zero Waste Week’ brand to our city in cooperation with our Istanbul Governorship.” Cities around the world such as New York and London have climate weeks.
Now Istanbul also has its own brand. May Istanbul Zero Waste Week be beneficial to our nation. he said. Ağırbaş stated that more than 1500 events took place in Istanbul between 1-7 June and said, “3 of these events are major events, one of which is the Zero Waste Festival. In this context, we had a great first day, and we expect the same participation tomorrow. Here are areas of experience for our children, youth and women.
Students can experience the information they receive in schools here and learn by touching and experiencing through various workshops. We planned concerts in the evenings so that our citizens can have a comfortable and enjoyable time and listen to concerts with their families in safe areas. he said. Inviting everyone to the Zero Waste Festival, Ağırbaş said, “Tomorrow is a historic day for us. We will open a great, historical summit in which people from 183 countries, more than 120 ministers, more than 200 mayors from different parts of the world, and companies with a total size of 3.4 trillion dollars will attend.
he said. – The Istanbul Declaration will be signed on Sunday. Ağırbaş noted that the Zero Waste movement has crossed continents and said: Tomorrow, we will have teachers, women, youth and women’s cooperatives from 81 provinces here. There will be activists, non-governmental organizations, political leaders, business people, representatives of different groups, religious leaders from 183 countries of the world. We will start our forum with an enthusiastic opening worthy of Istanbul.
We believe that the decisions made at the Zero Waste Forum, which will last for 3 days, will make significant contributions to the future of the world. In this context, events will be held simultaneously in 8 of our halls. There will be different ministerial sessions, there will be sessions of the business world. Zero waste issues will be discussed 360 degrees and on Sunday, we will sign the final result document of our forum, which we call the ‘Istanbul Declaration’, with the participation of 183 countries.
Emphasizing that the Istanbul Declaration will be historic, Ağırbaş said, “A declaration signed by people from so many countries will be implemented as of tomorrow for the first time in the history of Istanbul. he said. Ağırbaş stated that they will hold a meeting in Istanbul after the forum and that they will share Istanbul’s zero waste vision with the nation and that they are determined to make the city the capital of zero waste.
– We will present our road map to the discretion of our nation by consulting with our citizens. Expressing that they want to mobilize the business ecosystem on the occasion of this forum, Ağırbaş said, “We wish to build facilities in Istanbul and surrounding cities where we will produce zero waste-themed upcycling, recycling and biodegradable products. In this context, we will prepare the investment map of the region through workshops with banks, public, private sector and different stakeholders, and by consulting with our citizens regarding the upcoming process, we will present our road map to the discretion of our nation.
he said. Ağırbaş stated that one of the main themes of the forum is food waste, and that more than 8 million people die annually due to hunger and thirst, and that there is a group lobbying on the other side of the world to reduce the prices of obesity drugs. We think that such injustice and inequality can no longer be carried by the world, and we will discuss the real agendas of the field at the Zero Waste Forum. Ağırbaş said, “Unfortunately, artificial agendas are discussed in international meetings and people are tired of them.” The most important thing that makes the Zero Waste Forum successful is that it is a space where real issues are discussed and talked about.
Additionally, we opened our exhibition titled ‘Food Waste from Industry to Agriculture’ in Taksim Square in cooperation with our Governorship. Our fellow citizens will be able to visit there for a month. he said. 16There are 54 geographically registered foods among the products offered for sale at the Gastronomy House, where the traditional flavors of Hatay are introduced. 26There are 54 geographically registered foods among the products offered for sale at the Gastronomy House, where the traditional flavors of Hatay are introduced.
36There are 54 geographically registered foods among the products offered for sale at the Gastronomy House, where the traditional flavors of Hatay are introduced. 46There are 54 geographically registered foods among the products offered for sale at the Gastronomy House, where the traditional flavors of Hatay are introduced. 56There are 54 geographically registered foods among the products offered for sale at the Gastronomy House, where the traditional flavors of Hatay are introduced.
66There are 54 geographically registered foods among the products offered for sale at the Gastronomy House, where the traditional flavors of Hatay are introduced.
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