Turkey Closes Key Road for UN Climate Summit
Key Facts
- When and where. COP31, the UN climate conference, runs Nov. 9-20 at the Antalya Expo Center in Turkey.
- Leaders’ Summit. Nov. 11-12. The Leaders’ Road shuts 11:30 p.m. ET Nov. 10 to 4 a.m. ET Nov. 11 (7:30 a.m. to noon local).
- Who Is Coming. Turkey says 91 heads of state and government have confirmed, up from 85 on Oct. 22. No independent count exists.
- Time Gap. Antalya is 8 hours ahead of US Eastern time, so 9 a.m. there is 1 a.m. ET.
Published Friday, Nov. 6, 6:30 a.m. ET (2:30 p.m. Antalya) · Source: Turkish government and Antalya governor’s office statements, Rio Times research
What Is Fixed in the Calendar
COP31, the 31st UN climate conference, runs from Nov. 9 to Nov. 20, 2026, at the Antalya Expo Center in southern Turkey. Our full coverage sits in the dossier COP31 climate summit Antalya (leaders 11-12 Nov).
The leaders' summit is set for Nov. 11-12. Turkey holds the COP31 presidency, a role that chairs and steers the talks.
Environment Minister Murat Kurum serves as COP31 President. Australia's Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is President of Negotiations, a role that runs the bargaining sessions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosts the summit. Turkish officials outlined on Sept. 26 that he and UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcome the leaders, and Erdoğan, Guterres and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese then speak, with a gala dinner hosted by Erdoğan and his wife closing the first day.
What Has Changed on the Ground
Turkey said on Oct. 31 that 91 heads of state and government have confirmed, up from 85 cited by Kurum on Oct. 22. Brazil's presidency has confirmed that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will attend with Health Minister Alexandre Padilha.
The provincial governor's office said the "Leaders' Road," a stretch of the D-400 highway from the Belek Tourism Road junction to the Land of Legends junction, will be fully closed from 7:30 a.m. to noon local time on Nov. 11. That is 11:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 10 to 4 a.m. ET on Nov. 11, and EXPO 2016 Boulevard, the avenue serving the venue, will be limited to official vehicles and shuttle buses during the summit period.
Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin said on Nov. 2 that preparations were complete to move to remote learning on Nov. 11 and 12 in seven districts: the five central districts (Muratpaşa, Kepez, Konyaaltı, Aksu and Döşemealtı) plus Serik and Manavgat, to ease traffic during the COP31 leaders’ summit, with the final decision resting with the national Education Ministry.
What Is at Stake
Negotiators are expected to focus on implementing earlier pledges, moving away from fossil fuels and climate finance for poorer countries. Turkey's presidency has named 10 action-agenda priorities, including zero waste, green industrialization and clean energy.
They sit on a separate track from the formal negotiations. The presidency has launched the Antalya Compact for Energy Efficient Buildings, which is open for endorsement by all countries that are parties to the UN climate convention.
The Venue and the Public Zone
The site covers about 1.1 million square meters, including a Blue Zone of 527,000 square meters for negotiations. A 582,000-square-meter Green Zone is meant for public activities with concerts, exhibitions and talks.
More than 45,000 people from 154 countries have applied to volunteer, and nearly 2,000 Turkish nongovernmental organizations and municipalities have sought to take part.
What It Means for US Readers
Antalya runs on Turkey time (UTC+3, three hours ahead of Greenwich), which is 8 hours ahead of US Eastern time after US clocks went back on Nov. 1, and 11 hours ahead of Pacific time. Our calculation: a 9 a.m. session in Antalya starts at 1 a.m. ET the same day.
We have not verified a public livestream. The organiser's site, cop31.tr, and the UN climate secretariat's (UNFCCC) site are the places to check for webcasts and schedules.
What Is Not Known
The organiser has not published, in the material we reviewed, an opening-ceremony or plenary start time. We could not read the official site cop31.tr directly, so the dates and venue rest on Turkish government statements and press reports.
The 91-leader figure is the Turkish government's own count, and we found no independent tally or confirmed list of who will attend. We also found no confirmed US delegation or White House announcement.
We found nothing on whether China's President Xi Jinping will attend. Attendance forecasts differ widely and we could not reconcile them.
We also found no prediction-market odds on COP31.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does COP31 start?
COP31, the UN climate conference, runs from Nov. 9 to Nov. 20, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey. The organiser has not confirmed an opening time.
When is the leaders’ summit?
The leaders’ summit is Nov. 11-12. The road to the venue closes from 7:30 a.m. to noon local time on Nov. 11, or 11:30 p.m. ET Nov. 10 to 4 a.m. ET Nov. 11.
How many leaders will attend?
Turkey says 91 heads of state and government have confirmed, up from 85 on Oct. 22. This is the government’s own figure, and we found no independent count.
How can US readers follow COP31?
Antalya is 8 hours ahead of US Eastern time. We have not verified a public livestream, so check cop31.tr and the UN climate secretariat’s site for webcasts.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief