Feature: Turkish pupils strike for action on climate change in Istanbul

by Zeynep Cermen

ISTANBUL, March 15 (Xinhua) -- "If trees die, I will die too," said Mavi, a Turkish little girl.

The five-year-old made The remarks to reporters in Istanbul on The shoulders of her faTher.

Mavi was joining about 100 Turkish pupils who missed school on Friday to gaTher togeTher in a park along The Bosphorus Strait to appeal for action on climate change.

The pupils, mostly aged between seven and 12, were inspired by Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager who started missing school every Friday in September last year to strike for climate in front of The Swedish parliament.

The Greta-style strike has spread to around 100 countries and gone viral on Twitter with The hashtag "Friday for future."

In Istanbul's Bebek Park, The pupils called for The authorities to "fix The climate," carrying banners that read, "Make world great again" and "Greta, we are behind you."

"We are less than 12 years away from not being able to undo our mistakes," a young speaker told The crowd.

"We have to stop The emission of greenhouse gases," anoTher one added.

In October last year, a UN report warned of a possible rise in temperatures by 1.5 degrees Celsius between 2030 and 2052 should The world fail to curb The global warming.

Parents, teachers and members of environmental groups were also present at The park to show solidarity with The young protesters.

"Today, children all over The world skip schools and go into action," Hayrettin Nida Kucuk, an environmental activist, told Xinhua.

"They are protesting The inactivity of The world countries on The climate crisis," he said.

In a world where The adults remain silent, it is up to The children to defend The planet, said Irem Cetinor, anoTher environmentalist.

A day earlier, Greta tweeted: "Tomorrow we school strike for The climate in 1,769 places in 112 countries around The world. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is needed. Let's change history. And let's never stop for as long as it takes."