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Türkiye will offer official delegates attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) free admission to state-run museums and archaeological sites across Antalya throughout the 12-day event, while bringing together ancient heritage exhibitions, climate education and sustainable tourism initiatives.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the arrangements on Monday, outlining a program that will also showcase 37 archaeological artifacts from the Tas Tepeler project, introduce a dedicated Climate Library and promote Antalya as a year-round destination for international events.
Ersoy said the conference would provide an opportunity to introduce Türkiye's cultural heritage and tourism potential to international visitors while building up cooperation in sustainability, culture and the arts.
All official COP31 delegation members will be able to visit museums and archaeological sites operated by the Culture and Tourism Ministry in Antalya without paying admission fees during the conference.
The nighttime museum program at the ancient city of Side will also continue, allowing delegates to explore the region's historical sites outside their conference schedules.
Meanwhile, a special exhibition in COP31's Blue Zone, the conference's designated area for official negotiations and accredited participants, will bring together 37 archaeological artifacts registered in the collection of the Sanliurfa Museum.
The exhibition will focus on Tas Tepeler, a group of prehistoric archaeological sites in southeastern Türkiye, examining how Neolithic communities moved toward settled life, developed artistic traditions and interacted with their natural environment.
Ersoy said presenting this heritage at a conference devoted to humanity's shared future would help connect the relationship between people and nature thousands of years ago with contemporary environmental discussions.
The Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) will organize a Tourism and Cultural Heritage Day on Nov. 18, bringing together international tourism representatives to discuss sustainable investment, industry transformation and heritage conservation.
Four panels featuring 19 speakers and four moderators will address the future of sustainable tourism, the role of gastronomy and efforts to pass local cultural values on to future generations.
The ministry also plans to share developments under its Heritage for the Future project, which focuses on archaeological heritage and conservation.
Around 40 representatives from international tour operators, online travel platforms and other tourism businesses are expected to attend.
Participants will also be introduced to Antalya's natural and cultural attractions through organized city tours and experience programs intended to encourage future partnerships.
The ministry will also introduce what Ersoy described as the first Climate Library in the history of the U.N. climate conferences.
Designed around the theme "From Knowledge to Awareness, From Awareness to Action," the library will provide free access to 1,800 books covering climate-related subjects.
The initiative will draw on the experience of Istanbul's Rami Library, which Ersoy said received first place in the Large-Scale Project category of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions' (IFLA) 2026 Green Library Awards.
A humanoid robot named Bilgi will guide visitors in multiple languages between Nov. 17 and 19.
Built using recycled materials, the Climate Library will also have a purpose beyond COP31. Its equipment will be reused in public libraries, while the books are expected to be transferred to dedicated climate collections at Antalya's Tekelioglu Library and Burdur Provincial Public Library.
Alongside the conference program, Ersoy outlined ongoing efforts to make Türkiye's museum operations and heritage conservation practices more sustainable.
He said approximately 1.2 million cultural assets had been digitally registered through the National Museum Information System, while a solar power initiative would initially be introduced at four museums to reduce reliance on conventional energy sources and cut carbon emissions.
The ministry is also prioritizing original materials, on-site repairs and reuse during restoration projects.
According to Ersoy, efforts are underway to improve the resilience of historic structures against extreme heat, flooding, humidity and fire.
Separate initiatives developed with the United Nations Development Programme and other partners, including the SENTRUM approach and a rural tourism project in Goynuk, Bolu, aim to improve energy efficiency, support local production and encourage greater participation by local communities in tourism.
The ministry is also preparing to turn Antalya's EXPO grounds into an international exhibition, congress and events center after COP31.
Ersoy said a professional management structure would be established under TGA to oversee operations, event planning and international marketing, with the broader goal of strengthening Antalya's position in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism sector.
The proposed center is intended to host cultural and recreational activities for local residents and tourists in summer, alongside international conferences and exhibitions during the quieter winter and spring seasons.
Between Nov. 17 and 19, approximately 15 international event organizers, journalists and tourism industry representatives are expected to take part in a promotional visit showcasing the EXPO site's facilities.
Ersoy said the ministry wanted to turn the conference's international visibility into long-term cooperation that would benefit hotels, travel agencies, restaurants and local businesses.
The cultural program also includes a performance of composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun's Yunus Emre Oratorio by the Antalya State Opera and Ballet at the Congress Center on Nov. 9, bringing the messages of the Turkish poet and mystic Yunus Emre to conference guests through music.
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