Wetlands of Turkey
| Type | Number | Area (ha) |
|---|---|---|
| National parks (list) | 52 | 3,287,103 |
| Marine parks (list) | ||
| Nature parks (list) | 274 | 94,294 |
| Nature preserve areas (list) | 32 | 56,386 |
| Wildlife protection areas (list) | 85 | 1,169,873 |
| Nature monuments (list) | 111 | 8,389 |
| Protected Plains (list) | 25[2] | 221,229 |
| Wetlands (National) | 59 | 869,697 |
| Wetlands (Local) | 65 | 142,184 |
| Other[3] | 1,098 | 342,138 |
| Grand total | 1790 | 6,154,551 |
| Wetlands (Ramsar) (list) | 14[4] | 184,487 |
Wetlands in Turkey are diverse, ranging from alluvial forests, lagoons, saltmarshes and even a caldera lake.[5] Around the time of the formation of modern Turkey after WW1 there were almost 1400 natural wetlands covering almost 14 thousand km2, but by 2014 over 20% of wetland area had been drained (mostly - but some was lost due to changes in precipitation) and 900 wetlands remained.[6] In the early 21st century a law was passed to protect wetlands.[7]
In 2023 the Turkish Nature Association called for Turkish agriculture policy to be changed to protect the water cycle,[8] and they say that water policy is the biggest threat to biodiversity.[9]
As of 2025, there are 14 Ramsar sites, which were designated between 1994 and 2013.[10] As well as Ramsar sites there are also nationally and locally important wetlands, and as of 2021 there are 66 plans.[11] According to Caterina Scaramelli, research assistant professor of anthropology and earth and environment at Boston University, local people are not properly consulted.[5] Because the Directorate of Wetlands Conservation is part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (it is not part of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change),[12] she says there is a conflict of interest.[5] As of 2022 ecosystems services (such as limiting climate change) are not well understood,[13] and some water is not sustainably managed by river basin.[14]
Peatland
Over 80% of peatland has been degraded,[15] but there is a very small area of blanket bog including Ağaçbaşı Peatland, Barma Yaylası Peatland, Yılanlıtaş Yaylası Peatland (Trabzon), Kabaca–Petek Yaylası Peatland, Sazak Peatland (Artvin) and Ciğer Lake Peatland (Çanakkale).[16] Most is high in the north-east.[17] As of 2024 peat was still being extracted in Turkey.[18] Earthquakes may cause methane release which may catch fire.[19]
See also
References
- ↑ "Korunan Alanlar (Genel) - 2025". Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- ↑ "Resmi Gazete" (PDF). Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ Protection Forests, Gene Conservation forests, Seed Stands, Seed Orchard, Forest Parks
- ↑ Some of the Ramsar sites are also classified as above (e.g. Lake Kuş is also a national park.)
- 1 2 3 "The Lost Wetlands of Turkey". MERIP. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
- ↑ Ataol, Murat; Onmuş, Ortaç (2021-01-01). "Wetland loss in Turkey over a hundred years: implications for conservation and management". Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. 7 (1) 1930587. doi:10.1080/20964129.2021.1930587. ISSN 2096-4129.
- ↑ "SULAK ALANLARIN KORUNMASI YÖNETMELİĞİ". www.resmigazete.gov.tr. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
- ↑ "Wetlands 1.5 times size of Marmara Sea disappeared' - Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. 2023-05-19. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
- ↑ "Doğa Derneği | Nature is us!". 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Türkiye | The Convention on Wetlands, The Convention on Wetlands". www.ramsar.org. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
- ↑ "Ramsar National Report to COP14" (PDF).
- ↑ "SUDAN YANSIMALAR". www.tarimorman.gov.tr. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
- ↑ Başak, Esra; Cetin, Nuket Ipek; Vatandaşlar, Can; Pamukcu-Albers, Pinar; Karabulut, Armağan Aloe; Çağlayan, Semiha Demirbaş; Besen, Tuba; Erpul, Günay; Balkız, Özge; Çokçalışkan, Başak Avcıoğlu; Per, Esra; Atkin, Gülden (2022-10-20). "Ecosystem services studies in Turkey: A national-scale review". Science of the Total Environment. 844 157068. Bibcode:2022ScTEn.84457068B. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157068. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 35787907.
- ↑ Yıldız, Dursun. "Wetlands Protection and Management Policies in Türkiye" (PDF).
- ↑ Akar, Bülent; Avci, Utku (2022). "New Records of Desmids from Blanket Bogs in Turkey". Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research. 24 (3): 35–46. doi:10.2478/trser-2022-0018.
- ↑ Kırmacı, Mesut; Çatak, Uğur; Filiz, Fulya (2022-06-16). "Preliminary Red List Assessment of Turkish Sphagnum (Sphagnopsida)". Anatolian Bryology. 8 (1): 1–10. doi:10.26672/anatolianbryology.956824. ISSN 2149-5920.
- ↑ Erüz, Coşkun (2023-09-30). "Natural Heritages of The Black Sea Alpine: Agaçbaşı, Barma and Yılantas high Altitude peatlands, Nature Protected Areas, Trabzon, Turkey". Journal of Anatolian Environmental and Animal Sciences. 8 (3): 388–393. doi:10.35229/jaes.1326191. ISSN 2548-0006.
- ↑ Sitesi, İstanbul Ticaret Gazetesi Resmi Haber. "Tam 3,5 trilyon dolar değerinde! Türkiye'yi şahlandıracak formül". istanbulticaretgazetesi.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2025-03-14.
- ↑ KUYUCU/VAN, (DHA), Gülay (2022-12-13). "Van'da şaşırtan görüntü! Yanan turba toprağından bölgenin iklim geçmişi araştırılacak". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2025-03-14.
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