A.S. & S.A. & E.N.B v. Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and and Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change

During COP29 in Azerbaijan, Turkey announced its 2053 Long-Term Climate Strategy. This strategy lacks a clear plan for phasing out coal and does not substantiate emission reduction targets with concrete actions, falling short of the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. Similarly, Turkey’s 2023 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), submitted to the United Nations, has been criticized as inadequate. In 2023, the claimants filed a lawsuit (A.S., S.A., & E.N.B. v. Presidency of Turkey & Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change) with the Council of State, asserting that Turkey’s climate policies fail to protect the rights of children and young people. The Council of State rejected the case, reasoning that the NDC did not constitute a binding, enforceable administrative decision under domestic law. Following this dismissal, the plaintiffs brought the case to the Constitutional Court, challenging both Turkey’s 2023 NDC and the 2053 Long-Term Climate Strategy.