Turkey's Cop31 host urges wealthy nations to prioritize climate spending over defense

At a Pacific pre-Cop summit in Fiji, Turkey's Cop31 president-designate Murat Kurum called on wealthy countries to spend 'much more' on climate than the 5% of GDP NATO members pledge for defense, framing climate as the security issue. He hedged on whether to reaffirm the fossil fuel transition agreement, signaling potential friction in upcoming negotiations. This marks a notable diplomatic push by Turkey to elevate climate finance ahead of Cop31, though its stance on fossil fuels remains ambiguous.