Turkey is the epicenter of three biodiversity hotspots, making this region one of global significance. The erosion of Turkey’s environmental laws are a tragedy of epic proportions, and have culminated in the severe degradation of Turkey’s wildlands. Recent efforts to establish wild corridors must be followed up by stronger conservation legislation.
Three continents meet in Turkey, giving rise to a great diversity of wildlife and wildlands. Here, the Anatolian leopard and the brown bear traverse the same landscape as the great bustard and the now extinct Asiatic lion. But this wild crossroads is on the precipice of collapse due to a near total absence of consideration for nature’s needs and man’s dependence on the natural world. Environmental civil society groups in Turkey are fettered by a closed political system and a blinkered approach to economic development.
Ecologically intact & protected landscapes comprise 50% or more of this country.
Intact landscapes lacking protected status comprise 50% or more of this country.
Between 20-40% of landscapes are still ecologically intact.
Less than 20% of the natural ecology of this area is intact.
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This rare, intact forest landscape was designated using a participatory approach incorporating the 120 villages that buffer the area.
Turkey’s first national park, this unique forested landscape is surrounded by miles of steppe and is a popular tourist destination.
This culturally significant site is flanked by mountains and contains religious statues dating back to the first century BC.