Type | Number | Area (ha) |
---|---|---|
National parks (list) | 48 | 911,204 |
Nature parks (list) | 261 | 108,332 |
Nature preserve areas (list) | 31 | 46,455 |
Wildlife protection areas (list) | 85 | 1,165,448 |
Nature monuments (list) | 113 | 8,357 |
Protected Plains (list) | 25 [2] | 221,229 |
Wetlands (National) | 59 | 869,697 |
Wetlands (Local) | 32 | 92,236 |
Grand total | 654 | 3,422,958 |
Wetlands (Ramsar) (list) | 14 [3] | 184,487 |
The following is a list of national parks in Turkey. [4] [5]
The concept of a national park was introduced for the first time in Turkey by Selahattin İnal, who argued that "nature reserves should have the status of a national park and they should be determined according to natural beauty and touristic potential criteria." [6] The concept was included in the 25th article of the Forest Law adopted on 31 August 1956, and was included in the legal plane for the first time. [6] The General Directorate of Forestry, which is given the responsibility of the national parks by law, is authorized to declare a national park for the purpose of using it as a scientific and public sports and recreation area, provided that the fauna and flora of the forested areas are preserved. [7] Until 1983, only areas that had forest cover fell within the category of national parks, but the National Parks Law, which was adopted on 9 August 1983, new protection statuses such as nature parks, nature preserve areas, and nature monuments were established and areas with historical, touristic or cultural values could now be declared as national parks even if they were not covered by forests. [8] According to the current version of the law, the declaration of a new national park falls within the powers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which takes the advice of the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning on zoning, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on historical and touristic matters. [8]
In the cases where the area set to become a national park consists of lands belonging to the public as well as fields belonging to the individuals, the area is taken under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which can use measures such as expropriation, transfer, allocation or donation under the Expropriation Law. [6] The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has the right to organize, manage, or operate national parks. [6] The right to operate is valid only for national parks not covered by the state forests, and the right to operate the state forests cannot be transferred in accordance with article 169 of the constitution. [9] The management of the national parks is directly done by the Directorate of National Parks, a subbranch of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, which itself is controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. [10] [11]
Yozgat Pine Grove National Park, one of the remaining ruins of the ancient forests in Central Anatolia, was declared Turkey's first national park on 5 February 1958. [12] [13] Antalya has the highest number of national parks among the provinces by having five national parks within its boundaries. With a height of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) and an area of 88,015 hectares (217,490 acres), Mount Ararat National Park is Turkey's largest and highest national park. The last area to be declared a national park was Botan Valley National Park, which was listed on 15 August 2019. Turkey has a total of 44 national parks, which cover an area of 853,383 hectares (2,108,760 acres). [14]
National parks | Location | Listing date | Area | Reference(s) | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mount Ararat National Park | Ağrı, Iğdır | 17 November 2004 | 88,015 hectares (880.15 km2) | [15] [16] | |
Anti-Taurus Mountains National Park | Adana, Kayseri, Niğde | 21 April 1995 | 55,064 hectares (550.64 km2) | [17] [18] | |
Altınbeşik Cave National Park | Antalya | 31 August 1994 | 1,147 hectares (11.47 km2) | [19] [20] | |
Altındere Valley National Park | Trabzon | 9 September 1987 | 4,468 hectares (44.68 km2) | [21] [22] | |
Commander-in-Chief National Historic Park | Afyon, Kütahya, Uşak | 8 November 1981 | 34,834 hectares (348.34 km2) | [23] [24] | |
Beydağları Coastal National Park | Antalya | 16 March 1972 | 31,166 hectares (311.66 km2) | [25] [26] | |
Derebucak Çamlık Caves National Park | Konya | 7 June 2022 | 1,147 hectares (11.47 km2) | [27] [28] | |
Lake Abant National Park | Bolu | 10 June 2022 | 127 hectares (1.27 km2) | [29] [30] | |
Lake Beyşehir National Park | Konya | 11 January 1993 | 86,855 hectares (868.55 km2) | [31] [32] | |
Boğazköy-Alacahöyük National Park | Çorum | 21 September 1988 | 2,600 hectares (26 km2) | [33] [34] | |
Botan Valley National Park | Siirt | 15 August 2019 | 11,384 hectares (113.84 km2) | [35] [36] | |
Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park | Aydın | 19 May 1966 | 27,598 hectares (275.98 km2) | [37] [38] | |
Hakkari Cilo-Sat Mountains National Park | Hakkâri | 26 September 2020 | 27,500 hectares (275 km2) | [39] | |
Lake Gala National Park | Edirne | 5 March 2005 | 6,087 hectares (60.87 km2) | [40] [41] | |
Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park | Antalya | 3 November 1970 | 6,700 hectares (67 km2) | [42] [43] | |
Hatila Valley National Park | Artvin | 31 August 1994 | 16,944 hectares (169.44 km2) | [20] [44] | |
Mount Honaz National Park | Denizli | 21 April 1995 | 9,429 hectares (94.29 km2) | [18] [45] | |
Mount Ilgaz National Park | Çankırı, Kastamonu | 2 June 1976 | 1,118 hectares (11.18 km2) | [46] [47] | |
Mount Sarıçalı National Park | Ankara | 21 October 2021 | 1,024 hectares (10.24 km2) | [48] [49] | |
İğneada Floodplain Forests National Park | Kırklareli | 13 November 2007 | 3,155 hectares (31.55 km2) | [50] [51] | |
Independence Path National Historic Park | Ankara, Çankırı, Kastamonu | 2 November 2018 | 235 hectares (2.35 km2) | [52] [53] | Not available |
Kaçkar Mountains National Park | Artvin, Erzurum, Rize | 31 August 1994 | 52,970 hectares (529.7 km2) | [54] [55] | |
Karagöl-Sahara National Park | Artvin | 31 August 1994 | 3,251 hectares (32.51 km2) | [20] [56] | |
Karatepe-Aslantaş National Park | Osmaniye | 29 May 1958 | 4,143 hectares (41.43 km2) | [57] [58] | |
Kazdağı National Park | Balıkesir | 17 April 1994 | 20,935 hectares (209.35 km2) | [59] [60] | |
Kızıldağ National Park | Isparta | 9 May 1969 | 55,106 hectares (551.06 km2) | [61] [62] | |
Mount Kop Defense National Historic Park | Bayburt, Erzurum | 15 November 2016 | 6,335 hectares (63.35 km2) | [63] [64] | |
Lake Kovada National Park | Isparta | 3 November 1970 | 6,551 hectares (65.51 km2) | [62] [65] | |
Köprülü Canyon National Park | Antalya | 12 December 1973 | 35,719 hectares (357.19 km2) | [66] [67] | |
Kuşcenneti National Park | Balıkesir | 27 July 1959 | 17,058 hectares (170.58 km2) | [68] [69] [70] | |
Küre Mountains National Park | Bartın, Kastamonu | 7 July 2000 | 37,753 hectares (377.53 km2) | [71] [72] | |
Battle of Manzikert National Historic Park | Muş | 5 February 2018 | 238 hectares (2.38 km2) | [73] [74] | Not available |
Marmaris National Park | Muğla | 8 March 1996 | 29,206 hectares (292.06 km2) | [75] [76] | |
Munzur Valley National Park | Tunceli | 21 December 1971 | 42,674 hectares (426.74 km2) | [77] [78] | |
Mount Nemrut National Park | Adıyaman, Malatya | 7 December 1988 | 13,827 hectares (138.27 km2) | [79] [80] [81] | |
Nene Hatun National Historic Park | Erzurum | 6 June 2009 | 387 hectares (3.87 km2) | [82] [83] | Not available |
Battle of Sakarya National Historic Park | Ankara | 8 February 2015 | 13,850 hectares (138.5 km2) | [84] [85] | |
Saklıkent National Park | Antalya, Muğla | 6 June 1996 | 1,643 hectares (16.43 km2) | [86] [87] | |
Sarıkamış-Allahuekber Mountains National Park | Erzurum, Kars | 19 October 2004 | 22,520 hectares (225.2 km2) | [88] [89] | |
Soğuksu National Park | Ankara | 19 February 1959 | 1,186 hectares (11.86 km2) | [90] [91] | |
Mount Sipylus National Park | İzmir, Manisa | 22 April 1968 | 6,801 hectares (68.01 km2) | [92] [93] | |
Sultan Reedy National Park | Kayseri | 17 March 2006 | 24,358 hectares (243.58 km2) | [94] [95] [96] | |
Tek Tek Mountains National Park | Şanlıurfa | 29 May 2007 | 19,335 hectares (193.35 km2) | [97] [98] | |
Ancient Troy National Park | Çanakkale | 7 November 1996 | 13,517 hectares (135.17 km2) | [99] [100] [101] | |
Uludağ National Park | Bursa | 20 September 1961 | 13,024 hectares (130.24 km2) | [102] [103] | |
Yedigöller National Park | Bolu | 29 April 1965 | 1,623 hectares (16.23 km2) | [104] [105] | |
Yozgat Pine Grove National Park | Yozgat | 5 February 1958 | 267 hectares (2.67 km2) | [106] [107] | Not available |
Yumurtalık Lagoon National Park | Adana | 6 December 2008 | 16,980 hectares (169.8 km2) | [108] [109] [110] | |
Name | Province | Listing date | Delisting date | Area | Location | Reference(s) | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gallipoli Peninsula National Historic Park | Çanakkale | 26 May 1973 | 28 June 2014 | 334.39 km2 | [111] [112] [113] | Status changed to special administration under "Gallipoli War Historical Site Directorate". | ||
Göreme National Park | Nevşehir | 25 November 1986 | 22 October 2019 | 96.14 km2 | [114] [115] [116] [117] | Status changed to special administration under "Cappadocia Area Administration". |
Ankara Province is a province and metropolitan municipality of Turkey with the capital city Ankara. Its area is 25,632 km2, and its population is 5,782,285 (2022).
Derebucak is a municipality and district of Konya Province, Turkey. Its area is 451 km2, and its population is 5,690 (2022).
Ulubey Canyon Nature Park is a nature park in the Ulubey and Karahallı districts of Uşak Province, Turkey. The park provides suitable habitat for many species of animals and plants and is being developed as a centre for ecotourism.
Çulhalar is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Nallıhan, Ankara Province, Turkey. Its population is 20 (2022)
The Mount Ilgaz National Park is a protected area established on June 2, 1976 and located on the Ilgaz Mountains at the borderline between Kastamonu Province and Çankırı Province in the western Black Sea Region of Turkey. Natural resources and its potential for recreational activities are the main values of the national park, which stretches over an area of 742.38 ha.
The Lake Gala National Park, established on March 5, 2005, is a national park located within Edirne Province in Marmara Region of Turkey.
The İğneada Floodplain Forests National Park, established on November 13, 2007, is a national park located within Kırklareli Province in Marmara Region at East Thrace, the European part of Turkey.
The Commander-in-Chief National Historic Park is a historic site of national historic significance associated with the Turkish War of Independence comprising the battleground of the last battle in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–22).
Marmaris National Park, established on 30 January 1996, is a national park in southwestern coast of Turkey. The national park is located in Marmaris district of Muğla Province.
Altındere Valley National Park, established on September 9, 1987, is a national park in northeastern Turkey. The national park is located in Maçka district of Trabzon Province. It is most well known for containing the Sumela Monastery
Battle of Sakarya National Historic Park, established on February 8, 2015, is a protected area of national historic significance associated with the Turkish War of Independence comprising the battleground of the Battle of Sakarya in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–22). It is located in the Polatlı and Haymana districts of Ankara Province.
Sultan Reedy National Park, a.k.a.Sultan Marshes, established on March 17, 2006, is a national park in central Turkey. It is located around Lake Yay between the Yeşilhisar, Develi and Yahyalı districts of Kayseri Province. It was designated a Ramsar site on July 13, 1994.
Derebucak Çamlık Caves National Park, established on 7 June 2022, is the 47th national park in Turkey containing a group of caves located in the Derebucak district of Konya Province, central Anatolia. The caves are registered together a natural monument of the country.
Uzunkum Nature Park is a nature park declared coastal area in Kocaeli Province, northwestern Turkey.
Ankara Music and Fine Arts University is a public university in Ankara, Turkey. It was established on 1 July 2017. The university continues its education with 4 Faculties, 1 institute and 1 vocational school. Ankara Music and Fine Arts University is Turkey's first higher education institution with a full focus on music.
Transport Safety Investigation Center, is a civil transportation accident investigation board of Turkey. It is affiliated to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.Founded in 2019, it replaced the Accident Investigation Board.
The Botan Valley National Park, is a historical area with the status of a national park within the borders of Siirt province of Turkey.
Şakir Özkan Torunlar is a Turkish diplomat who has served in various capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since joining in 1983. His diplomatic career spans several countries and includes roles such as Turkey's ambassador to Bangladesh, Consul General to Jerusalem, and ambassador to India. In 2022, he was appointed Turkey's ambassador to Tel Aviv, becoming the first ambassador to Israel from 2018 to October 2023 when the Turkish president recalled him over the humanitarian crisis during the Hamas-Israel war.
Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University, is a state university founded on June 18, 2017.
Mount Sarıçalı National Park, established on 27 October 2021, is the 46th national park in Turkey. It is located in Nallıhan district within Ankara Province, Central Anatolia.