Hayrettin Karaca

Fourteen bonsai trees of late Turkish environmentalist Hayrettin Karaca, nicknamed "Grandpa Earth," in the Yalova Bonsai Museum — Türkiye's first and Europe's largest — are being passed down to future generations.

The co-founder and honorary president of one of Turkey's foremost non-profit environmental organizations, Hayrettin Karaca was on Jan. 22 laid to rest in ceremonies held in Istanbul.

The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion (TEMA) founder, Karaca died on Jan. 20 at the age of 97.

The co-founder and honorary president of one of Turkey's foremost non-profit environmental organizations, Hayrettin Karaca -- or as he was known, Grandpa Earth -- died on Jan. 20 at the age of 97.

Hayrettin Karaca, a prominent Turkish environmentalist, passed away on Jan.  at the age of 97.

He founded the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion (TEMA), the country's largest environmental non-profit organization, in 1992.

His efforts led to the establishment of Turkey's first private botanical garden.

A report published by the Ankara Journalists Association has examined the intensifying environment of intolerance in Turkish society.

The association's February 2015 report for the Press for Freedom Project touched on various topics, ranging from violence against women to freedom of expression.