Ecological

and

Environmental issues

in Turkey

Neither East nor West... This stereotypical assessmentof where Turkey stands geographically andgeopolitically plays an important role in both itsecological composition, and concerns related to itsenvironment and ecology.

As a land of transition between three continents,Turkey is a country that has critical natural andbiological reserves at the global level (see the belowmap for its biodiversity hotspots) and diverse speciesand agro-environmental landscapes.

With a total area of about 778,000 square kilometres,Turkey is often considered a small continent linkingEurope (Thrace) and Asia (Anatolia). Due to theremarkable variation in its geographic features Turkey ishome to 305 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA), equivalent toa quarter of the country’s surface area.

Anatolia demonstrates a significant plant endemismrate (30%) and includes eight recognised Centres ofPlant Diversity. Out of a total of 236 species, there are70 endemic species of inland fish; an important factunknown to many.

Two major bird migration routes pass throughTurkey, implying the presence of key feeding andbreeding sites for over 460 species. Forestscover some 20.5 million hectares of the countryand include some of the oldest old-growthforests in the temperate zone.

The natural steppes in the Irano-Anatolian floristic zonehost nearly half of the endemic species that are ofconservation concern. Marine and coastal biodiversityalong Turkey’s 8,300-kilometres-long coastline islikewise worth mentioning, which is home to keyspecies such as the Mediterranean monk seal, two outof eight global sea turtle species, and Posidonia seagrasses.

Mediterranean Monk Seal

Unfortunately, an equally remarkable spectrum ofenvironmental conflicts directly threatens the integrityof nature in Turkey. Today, there is an urgent need forknowledge, awareness, and appropriate action to haltirreversible loss of the unique natural capital in theglobal hotspots that Turkey is home to.

The main ecological and environmentalissues in Turkey are the conservationof biodiversity, water pollution from the dumping ofchemicals and detergents, air pollution, greenhousegases and land degradation.

Conservation of Biodiversity

Turkey has a remarkable diversity of wildlife, due to its widevariety of habitats and unique position between threecontinents and three seas. IlI-considered developmentprojects are threatening biodiversity, but a new wildlifecorridor offers hope for further conservationprogress. Turkish montane forests face major threats totheir genetic diversity associated with over-exploitation,forest fragmentation, air pollution and global climaticchange

Air Pollution

Air pollution is particularly significant in urbanareas. The problem is especially acutein İstanbul, Ankara, Erzurum, and Bursa, where thecombustion of heating fuels increases particulatedensity in winter. Especially in Istanbul, increased carownership causes frequent urban smog conditions. Airpollution in urban centeres, often caused by transportand the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, islinked to a range of health problems.

Climate Change

Summer temperatures have increased and areexpected to continue to increase. Proposed new coalfired power plants would increaseTurkey's CO2 emissions.

Water

Pollution

Turkey's most pressing needs are for water treatmentplants, wastewater treatment facilities and solid wastemanagement. There is a potential for spills from the5,000 oil- and gas-carrying ships that pass throughthe Bosporus annually.

Drought

Turkey does not have sufficient water. Almost threequarters of water consumed is used foragriculture. Lake Tuz, which is a closed basin situatedin Central Anatolia, comprised of an ecological networkof wetlands where highly endemic hypersaline plantspecies occur in the surrounding natural steppehabitats—and a Special Protection Area—is a case inpoint.

Since the 1920s, Lake Tuz, Turkey’s second largest bodyof water has shrunk by about 85 percent due to theover-extraction of groundwater for irrigatedagriculture. Additionally, the pollutants discharged intothe lake have severely affected the breeding flamingopopulations there.

Land degradation

Land degradation is a critical agricultural problem,caused by inappropriate use of agricultural land,overgrazing, over-fertilization. Serious soil erosion hasoccurred in 69% of Turkey’s land surface. According toone estimate, Turkey loses 1 billion tons of topsoilannually.

TURKEY’S KEY ISSUES

The most urgent problems on Turkey’s environmental agenda as follows:

The biggest salt lake in Europe has diminished byalmost half in 18 years.

One of the terminals of the power plant at Afşin Elbistan hasbeen operating without a filter for years, polluting surroundingareas.

The almost 400 hydroelectric plants planned for many provinces, Artvin andRize foremost among them, means death for the streams they are going to bebuilt on.

The Great Menderes Basin, the primary water source of İzmir, has beenpoisoned.

Bafa Lake in Muğla, Kulu Lake in Konya and Eber Lake inAkşehir are threatened by pollution from waste.

Amik, Suğla and Avlan lakes, alongside the reed beds of Kestel,Gavur, Yarma, Aynaz, Hotamış and Eşmekaya, have lost theirecological and economic functions.

The water level of Lake Burdur has dropped 10 meters in the last 27years, and 90 percent of the Sultansazlığı reed bed has dried up.

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