Around 26,000 security personnel will be on duty in Antalya during the COP31 United Nations climate conference next month, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said after inspecting preparations in the city, local daily Antalya Ekspres reported on Friday.
Çiftçi said security would be provided on land, in the air and at sea, and that as many as 100,000 people a day could visit the summit area. He said the planning drew on the model used for the NATO summit hosted by Türkiye. Officials also reviewed fire safety, evacuation plans and emergency readiness at the conference venue and at the hotels where delegations will stay.
According to the report, the authority to decide on applications for demonstrations during COP31 has been handed to the Antalya Governorship, the central government’s office in the province.
Final stage of preparations
The conference runs from 9 to 20 November on the former EXPO 2016 site on the eastern side of the city, with a leaders’ summit on 11-12 November. Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, who toured the site with Çiftçi, said 85 heads of state and government had so far confirmed attendance and that work was in its final stage.
Speaking on Thursday, Kurum said the "blue zone" – the UN-run area for negotiations – covers 1.1 million square metres, with two plenary halls, 28 meeting rooms and a media centre for 4,000 outlets. He said 159 country pavilion applications had been approved and that more than one million visitors were expected over the two weeks. Kurum estimated the event would generate about 2 billion dollars of direct economic activity in Antalya and 3-4 billion dollars of added value in total. These are government estimates and have not been independently assessed.
What residents and visitors should expect
Officials say 38 km of roads have been renewed around the site, seven highway routes and a tram line will serve it, and 630 extra vehicles, including low-emission buses and electric shuttles, have been added. Residents of Aksu and the airport corridor, as well as holidaymakers staying late in the season, should expect checkpoints, road closures on leaders’ days and heavier traffic between the airport and the eastern districts. Hotel rooms in the city centre and the Lara and Belek areas are also likely to be in short supply during the summit.
COP31 falls at the end of a strong season for the province: Antalya has already welcomed millions of foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2026, even as the wider sector has seen tourism jobs fall. For those thinking of moving to the region, our guide to living in Antalya covers neighbourhoods, prices and daily life.
Sources
- COP31 Zirvesi’nde 26 bin personel görev yapacak (Antalya Ekspres / İHA)
- ‘COP31 3-4 milyar dolar katkı sağlayacak’ (Antalya Ekspres / İHA)
Photo: Burak Mike / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
