Protected areas in Turkey

In terms of biodiversity, Turkey is one of the richest countries in Europe and the Middle East, and ranks the ninth on the European Continent in this respect. There are a number of different ecological regions each with its own endemic species and natural ecosystems. The richness of biodiversity in Turkey is expressed in its 120 mammals, more than 400 bird species, 130 reptiles, and nearly 500 fish species. The diversity of the geographic formations of Turkey and its location at the intersection of two important Vavilovian gene centers (the Mediterranean and the Near Eastern) are the reasons for high endemism and genetic diversity (Ministry of Environment, 2002).

There have been various types of habitats formed in the earth since the beginning of the world and existence of the living beings. Human beings, animals, plants and microorganisms have been surviving in the ecosystems together for many years together with the non-living beings, like water, air, soil, rock and climatologically factors. However, due to technological developments starting from 1960’s, there have been significant adverse impacts on the nature. Man can survive less dependent on the surrounding factors and has the ability to easily change the environmental factors with his technological power. The ecological balances have been greatly degraded due to increase in populations and rapidly developing technologies. In this regard, Turkey is relatively lucky when compared to the most of the countries in Europe and America. In Turkey, there are still number of ecosystems where natural balance has not been completely degraded and we still have a rich biodiversity throughout Turkey.

Turkey is home to 75% of the plant species that exist on the European continent, and one third of these species are endemic plants. The rich flora of Turkey includes more than 9,000 plant species and more than 500 bulbous plants. This flora, with a high endemism ratio, is also rich in medicinal and aromatic plants (Ministry of Environment, 2002). Most of the endemic plant species are found in the Taurus Mountains, the Nur Mountains and the Eastern Black Sea Coast (Ministry of Environment, 2001).

Located on the migration routes of many birds, Turkey is a key country for many bird species. 454 bird species have been sited. Several of its species are globally under threat (Ministry of Environment, 2002). Turkish wetlands are of crucial importance for many breeding species of birds.

There are 472 fish species in Turkey and 50 of these are at risk of extinction. Some 192 freshwater fish species belonging to 26 different families have been identified (Ministry of Environment,2002).

Approximately 3,000 plant and animal species have been identified in Turkey’s seas (Ministry of Environment, 2001). There are about 20 species of mammals including the Mediterranean monk seal, whales and dolphins with mostly decreasing populations. The Turkish Straits and the Sea of Marmara form a special ecosystem (an ecotone) between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The Aegean Sea is especially important for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), which is considered to be one of the 12 most endangered species in the world. Less than 50 specimens inhabit the coasts of Turkey (Ministry of Environment, 2001). The Aegean Sea and its islands contain numerous microhabitats (Posidonia oceanica and Cystoseira species) that play an important role in the sustainability of the ecosystem (Ministry of Environment, 2002).

Turkey has accepted the Action Plan (1989 and 1999) for the conservation of Mediterranean marine turtles within the framework of the Barcelona Convention. Several breeding habitats of marine turtles, including Dalyan, Fethiye, Patara, Goksu Delta, and Belek, were declared as Specially Protected Areas in 1988 and 1990. The Ministry of Environment established the Marine Turtles National Commission and the Marine Turtles Scientific Commission for the coordination of activities towards the protection of the two species. Turkey also accepted the action plan for the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal, again developed in the framework of the Barcelona Convention (Ministry of Environment, 2002). In this context, Turkey has signed many international conventions and agreements.

In this context, Turkey has signed many international conventions. These conventions are; International Conventions and Protocols on Nature Protection Ratified by Turkey

• Convention on Biodiversity Conservation (Rio Convention) (1997)

• Cartagena Protocol (2004)

• CITES (1996)

• Barcelona Convention (1988)

• Bucharest Convention (1994)

• Protection of Cultural and National Heritage (1983)

• Convention on Combating Erosion (1998)

• European Landscape Convention (2000)

• Bern Convention(1984)

• Ramsar Convention (1994)

• Kyoto Protocol (2009)

Depending on these conventions, by 2011, nearly 1800 sites had been identified by the Ministry of Forest and Water as warranted protection under the 1983 law (Table 1), by 2003, nearly 6 400 sites had been identified by the Ministry of Culture as warranted protection under the 1983 law (Table 2).

Conservation Status	Number	Related Law
National park	41	Law on National Parks
Nature conservation area	31	Law on National Parks
Natural monument	106	Law on National Parks
Nature park	41	Law on National Parks
Wild life reserve areas	79	Law on Terrestrial Hunting
Conservation forest	57	Law on Forest
Genetic conservation areas	214	Law on Forest
Seed stands	339	Law on Forest
Specially protected areas (SPAs)	14	Law on Environment
Natural sites	947	Law on Conservation of Cultural And Natural Heritage
Ramsar sites	13	Ramsar Convention By-law on Conservation of Wetlands
Biosphere Reserve	1	Law on National Parks – Law on Forest

Table 1. Protected areas which identified by the Ministry of Forest and Water.

Conservation Staus	Number
Archaeological Site	4,920
Natural Site	787
Urban Archaeological Site	182
Historical Site	121
Other Sites	371
Total Number	6,381

Table 2. Protected areas (especially cultural areas) which identified by the Ministry of Forest and Water.

National Parks

A national park refers to an plot of land set aside by a national government and usually designated as an area free of development. Often, national parks include pristine wilderness areas or other pieces of environmental heritage which the nation has deemed worthy of preservation. In the United States, national parks also include historic areas and monuments to scientific achievement.

Prepared by the IUCN classification of protected areas, national parks are in Categories 2. Definition of this category is below;

‘Natural area of land and/or sea, designated to (a) protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations, (b) exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of the area and (c) provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally compatible.

Management Objectives of This Category

• To protect natural and scenic areas of national and international significance for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational or tourist purposes

• To perpetuate, in as natural a state as possible, representative examples of physiographic regions, biotic communities, genetic resources, and species, to provide ecological stability and diversity;

• To manage visitor use for inspirational, educational, cultural and recreational purposes at a level which will maintain the area in a natural or near natural state

• To eliminate and thereafter prevent exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation;

• To maintain respect for the ecological, geomorphological, sacred o aesthetic attributes which warranted designation; and

• To take into account the needs of indigenous people, including subsistence resource use, in so far as these will not adversely affect the other objectives of management.

Guidance for Selection

• The area should contain a representative sample of major natural regions, features or scenery, where plant and animal species, habitats and geomorphological sites are of special spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and touristic significance

• The area should be large enough to contain one or more entire ecosystems materially altered by current human occupation or exploitation.

National parks are natural areas that provide transcendental, adventure and educational experiences. One management goal, however, is to take into account the needs of indigenous people. In this way, parks serve multiple constituencies that have sometimes been at loggerheads (Weeks and Mehta, 2004).

National Parks Law in Turkey, scientific and aesthetic terms, national and international rare, natural and cultural resource values and conservation, recreation and tourism will have the values of nature.

The purpose of this Law is specified as the "identification of areas which possess values of national and international importance, as national park, nature park, nature monument, and nature protection area, and the protection, enhancement and management of these areas without degrading their values and characteristics" There are 43 national parks in Turkey (Figure 2)

Fig. 2. National parks in Turkey.

The first national park in Turkey was established in 1958 (The Yozgat Pine Grove National Park) (Figure 3). Some of these parks, which were initially established for archaeological and historical purposes, are at the same time rich habitats where biological diversity is being protected.

Fig. 3. The Yozgat Pine Grove National Park, Turkey (www. milliparklar. gov. tr).

National Parks are defined as recreation and tourism areas which are rare in terms of scientific and scenic perspective in nature and are important for the conservation of the natural and cultural resource values (Yucel, 1995). These areas are in different regions of Turkey and were assigned as national parks at various dates and with various purposes; they are now under protective control and are kept open for public use (Guglu and Karahan, 2008).

Some information and resource values of these national parks are given below (Table 1).

National Park	Area (ha)	Date	Resource Value
The Yozgat Pine Grove National Park	264	1958	Natural Finns sp. (residual forest)
Karatepe Aslantaf National Park	7715	1958	Flora, visual landscape, historical value
Soguksu National Park	1195	1959	Geological and geomorphologic value, thermal water
Bird Paradise National Park	24047	1959	Fauna, especially bird species
Uludag National Park	12372	1961	Flora and fauna
Yedigoller (Sevenlakes) National Park	2019	1965	Lakes, flora, recreation
Dilek Peninsula National Park	27675	1966	Flora, fauna, wetlands
Spil Mountain National Park	6693,5	1968	Geological value, flora, historic and mythological value
Kizildag National Park	59400	1969	Geological value, flora
Termessos National Park	6702	1970	Ancient city, geological value, biodiversity
Kovada Lake National Park	6534	1970	Geological value, flora, karstic lake
Ilgaz Mountain National Park	1088	1976	Flora, winter sports, alpine flora
Munzur Valley National Park	42000	1971	Streams, flora, fauna, geomorphologic value
Olympos National Park	34425	1972	Archeological residual, flora
Gelibolu Peninsula Historical National Park	33000	1973	Historical war, geological and geomorphologic value
Koprulu Canyon National Park	36614	1973	Archeological residual, geological value
Bafkomutan Historical National Park	40742	1981	Cultural and geological value
Goreme Historical National Park	9572	1986	Historical settlement, geomorphologic value
Altindere Valley National Park	4800	1987	Cultural value, landscape,
Bogazkoy-Alacahoyuk Historical National Park	2634	1988	Archeological residual

Nemrut Mountain National Park	13850	1988	Historical open air museum, landscape
Beyfehir Lake National Park	88750	1993	Historical residual, geomorphologic value, wetlands, fauna especially bird species
Kazdaglari National Park	21463	1993	Flora, fauna, biodiversity,
Ka^kar Mountain National Park	51550	1994	Geological and geomorphologic value, flora and fauna
Hattila Valley National Park	16988	1994	Geological and geomorphologic value, flora and fauna
Altinbefik Cavern National Park	1156	1994	Geological and geomorphologic value
Karagol – Sahara National Park	3766	1994	Hydrographic structure, vegetation
Aladaglar National Park	54 524	1995	Landscape, waterfall
Honaz Mountain National Park	9616	1995	Geological and geomorphologic value, flora
Troya Historical National Park	13350	1996	Geomorphologic value, historical residual
Marmaris National Park	33350	1996	Geomorphologic value, flora and fauna
Saklikent National Park	12390	1996	Flora, fauna, hydrological geomorphologic value
Kure Mountain National Park	37000	2000	Natural forest, biodiversity, geological and geomorphologic value
Sarikamif-Allahuekber Mountain National Park	22980	2004	Historical value, fauna
Agri Mountain National Park	87 380	2004	Geomorphologic value
Gala Lake National Park	6090	2005	Wetland and forest ecosystem, bird species
Sultan Sazligi National Park	24523	2006	Wetland ecosystem, bird species
Tek Tek Mountain National Park	19335	2007	Geomorphologic and historical value, fauna
Igneada Longos Forest National Park	3155	2007	Wetland and alluvial forest ecosystem, lagoon, flora, fauna
Yumurtalik Lagoon National Park	16 430	2008	Lagoon, swamp, sand dune
Nenehatun National Park	387	2009	Historical value

Table 3. National Parks in Turkey.