Türkiye’s preserved natural properties reach 28,907 square kilometers

By Selcuk Uysal

Türkiye's preserved natural properties have grown to 28,907 square kilometers owing to efforts carried out by the country's Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.

These efforts are aimed at protecting designated areas across the country in order to prevent biological diversity loss, conserve plant and animal species as well as their natural habitats, promote sustainable use in protected zones, and raise public awareness about environmental conservation.

Until 2011, protected areas in Türkiye were divided into three categories: first-, second-, and third-degree natural preserve areas, with protection and usage conditions determined by principal decisions.

All protected areas were updated in 2011 in accordance with criteria established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Created in 1948, IUCN is the environmental network and global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.

Turkish scientists also serve on commissions under the umbrella of the IUCN.

Regulations and policy decisions issued in 2012 established the conditions for protecting and using these areas.

Through ongoing efforts, the total size of Türkiye's reserve natural properties has now reached 28,907 square kilometers, with 1,777 square kilometers added this year.

The ministry designated an area of 851 square kilometers as a qualified natural preserve area and another 457 square kilometers as a sustainable preserve and controlled use area.

The number of sensitive areas to be strictly protected in Türkiye has increased to 617, covering a total area of 443 square kilometers.

Türkiye's preserved properties encompass a wide variety of natural ecosystems and formations, ranging from seas and coasts to mountains, from deltas to forests, from plateaus to steppes, from lakes and river systems to deep valleys and canyons, and even glaciers.