Turkey’s nine environmental ‘hotspots’

Struggling to pair urban and industrial development with environment, the Turkish government’s wild energy policies are threatening the ecological balance in dozens of protected areas across the country.

According to a list prepared and provided by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 1999, nine regions or areas were selected among the 100 environmental spots in Europe that are extremely important to preserve in order to ensure a sustainable ecological footprint in Turkey.

They have been designated “hotspots,” a terminology used by environmental protection institutions, organizations and experts to define natural areas that should be protected in priority, particularly for the fragility of their ecosystem. All of those hotspots are unique regarding the number of endemic species, the habitat they offer for endangered animals, maturity of the forests and their natural beauties.

WWF Turkey has been working since 2001 for the preservation of these nine hotspots in cooperation with the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs. The UNDP and Global Environment Facility jointly supported a program called “Strengthening Forested Protected Areas Network of Turkey,” which put two-thirds of the nine hotspots under protection and promoted sustainability through resource management at Küre Mountains National Park.

But recently, many are being threatened by government-led projects to enable either construction or energy investments. For the 2011 International Year of Forests, the “9 Hotspots” documentary series by director Vedat Atasoy were filmed to further raise awareness on the topic by portraying local life in the areas.

Let’s take a look at each of the nine spots and their distinctive...