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Türkiye

Country

Rich in culture, rich in biodiversity

Türkiye is well known for its cultural heritage.

Perhaps less well-known is its diverse array of animals and plants. From the rocky bays of the southwest coast to the alpine peaks of the Kaçkar Mountains in the northeast, Türkiye’s striking and varied landscapes are rich in biodiversity.

Türkiye is bounded by the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean to the south, with the Sea of Marmara enclosed within the north-west of the country.

The stunning Turquoise Coast, where sheer mountains drop down to clear waters, is a magnet for tourists, but also a vital haven for marine life and a crucial source of local livelihoods.

What wildlife does Türkiye support?

Türkiye boasts an impressive 11,000 species of plant and over 1,500 types of vertebrate animals, as well as 19,000 invertebrate species, 4,000 of which are found nowhere else in the world.

The country’s crystal-clear waters harbour abundant marine life including sea turtles, seagrass meadows, rare sharks and the endangered Mediterranean monk seal.

Our work in Türkiye

Fauna & Flora is working with local partner Akdeniz Koruma Derneği (AKD – The Mediterranean Conservation Society) and coastal communities to strengthen protection for threatened species and habitats within Gökova Bay and the wider seascape along Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast.

Despite being a marine protected area, Gökova has suffered from destructive and unsustainable fishing practices. Their impacts include degradation of seabed habitats (including an important seagrass found only in the Mediterranean), the collapse of many of the bay’s fisheries, and a decline in the number of top predators normally found there. Increased numbers of invasive lionfish and rabbitfish entering from the Red Sea (as a result of climate change) have also caused serious damage.

With Fauna & Flora support, AKD successfully lobbied for the establishment of no-fishing zones and encouraged local fishers and other community members to play an active role in patrolling and monitoring, and to target invasive fish as a source of food. This flagship programme has helped minimise illegal fishing and promoted fish stock and habitat recovery.

With biodiversity on the rebound, including commercially important fish species, monk seals and other marine predators, the project has been hailed as a great success for both nature and fishing communities that depend on a healthy ecosystem for their livelihoods. This successful protected area blueprint is now being rolled out more widely along Türkiye’s Mediterranean coastline to promote the recovery of the country’s marine ecosystems.

Fauna & Flora's timely support for Turkish Mediterranean endangered marine life saved not only fish stocks and other marine life but also boosted the fishery in the bay where fishing communities embrace No Fishing Zones.

Zafer Kizilkaya

President, Akdeniz Koruma Derneği (Mediterranean Conservation Society)

Fauna & Flora's timely support for Turkish Mediterranean endangered marine life saved not only fish stocks and other marine life but also boosted the fishery in the bay where fishing communities embrace No Fishing Zones.

Zafer Kizilkaya

President, Akdeniz Koruma Derneği (Mediterranean Conservation Society)

More about our work in Türkiye