Addressing the summit held at the Acapulco Hotel in Çatalköy, First Lady Nilden Bektaş Erhürman said she is happy that, being an environmental engineer, the first meeting she was attending on behalf of the Presidency was indeed  relating  to the environment.

Expressing her pleasure to be with esteemed participants at the summit, the First Lady said: "It is often forgotten that we are a small island nation, natural resources are being used without limit, water resources are being depleted and cannot be developed."

Drawing attention to the fact that waste should also be regarded as a resource, First Lady Erhürman stated that waste is still not being properly collected, transported, or disposed of, adding: “Our soil is being polluted. We can not use clean energy when producing electricity, and our nature and environment are being polluted.”

The First Lady pointed out that, despite the negative developments, there is good news regarding the environment and emphasised that "solutions exist in engineering to prevent pollution and to ensure the efficient use of resources."

"Solutions to environmental problems can be achieved through political will, budget allocations for the environment, and governance carried out in cooperation with the public," the First Lady added.

Pointing out that political will must take a strong stance on environmental issues, Mrs Erhürman stated: “Politics must decide what will be done about the environment. Will the environment be protected? Will we allow environmental problems to affect our health, or will we continue to develop while effectively protecting the environment through policies? This can be called environmental policy or environmental mobilisation. By enacting the missing environmental laws and regulations, conducting inspections, and enforcing penalties for environmental crimes, we can establish a strong stance and policy that form the first pillar of environmental management.”

Noting that it is very difficult to implement and sustain environmental projects due to the insufficient budget allocated to the environment, Mrs Erhürman referred to the upcoming budget discussions and stressed that a larger share should be allocated to environmental issues.

Stressing that environmental management must be carried out together with the public, the First Lady emphasised the importance of gaining public support and congratulated GİKAD and Prof. Dr. Şerife Gündüz for their environmental projects and educational activities.

Underlining that awareness campaigns should be organised to encourage the public to take ownership of environmental protection, Mrs Erhürman said: “The question we need to ask is should we benefit from recycling, from our available resources, and prevent waste? A culture must be developed regarding the environment. I believe that the Turkish Cypriot people are highly inclined toward this culture.”

Emphasising that the Office of the Presidency will undertake new initiatives concerning the environment in the new term, Mrs Erhürman stated that she eagerly awaits the outcomes of the summit.

Stating that the summit brought together many distinguished participants and speakers, First Lady Erhürman congratulated GİKAD President İçim Çağıner Kavuklu and the board members for their efforts in organising the event.

Following her speech, First Lady Erhürman presented an award and plaque to Buray, a singer who serves as a Green School Ambassador within the Green Schools Project.