Turkic Perspectives in Teaching International Environmental Law: Toward Pluralistic Legal Education

This paper explores the teaching of international environmental law from Turkic perspectives, offering a novel approach that integrates the historical, cultural, and institutional experiences of the Turkic world into the discipline. Against the backdrop of a weakening multilateral order and criticism of the UN, it argues that regional perspectives can strengthen the universality and legitimacy of international environmental law. Rather than merely examining how international environmental law is received in Turkic states, the study asks whether a distinct “Turkic international environmental law” exists. Drawing on the Organization of Turkic States’ frameworks and initiatives in environmental protection, it examines how regional experiences can inform both the substance and pedagogy of the field. Teaching from Turkic perspectives emerges as both a pedagogical innovation and a normative contribution to a more inclusive global legal system.