Türkiye’s special environmental protection areas (SEPAs): an overview, targets and some proposals

Bayram Öztürk, Dilek Tezel, Tancrède Barraud

ORCID IDs: B.Ö. 0000-0001-7844-2448; D.T. 0000-0002-1751-2948; T.B. 0000-0001-6621-0922

Marine Biology Department, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, 34134 Istanbul, TÜRKİYE
Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), P.O. Box: 10, Beykoz, İstanbul, TÜRKİYE
Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, 06510 Ankara, TÜRKİYE
Marine Biology Programme, Institute of Sciences and Technology, Istanbul University, 34134 Istanbul, TÜRKİYE

Abstract

Special Environmental Protection Areas (SEPAs) are the main marine protected areas (MPAs) in Türkiye. Currently, 19 SEPAs have been declared in Türkiye, both on land and at sea. Among them, 13 SEPAs were designated in Turkish waters between 1988 and 2025. In line with global targets and international commitments, SEPAs and other protected areas in Türkiye were analysed using GIS-based spatial analysis methods according to their location, size, categories, and resource values. Each marine SEPA has its own terrestrial and marine parts, except for the Finike Seamounts SEPA. The largest and latest SEPA is the Marmara Sea and its islands, outside of the geographical scope of Barcelona Convention, with 12,246.16 km², designated in 2021 with its borders extended in 2024. The smallest SEPA is Belek with 141.68 km². At least three of the SEPAs are of transboundary nature in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, namely the Finike Seamounts, Kaş-Kekova, and Datça-Bozburun SEPAs. The Black Sea does not have any SEPAs presently. Thus, it is highly recommended to designate SEPAs urgently to protect the Black Sea’s marine biodiversity. Only 6.22% of Türkiye’s coastal and marine waters have been designated as protected areas, of which 5.71% are existing SEPAs. This value is far from AICHI Target 11 and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Our proposal is to set new national targets to relevant authorities with the aim to increase MPAs and reach the AICHI target and Global Biodiversity commitment, mainly in the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Keywords: Türkiye, marine biodiversity, Special Environmental Protection Area, AICHI Targets, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Pages: 66-85

References

Başusta, N., Hisli, O., Tonay, A.M., Yamaner, G., Gönülal, O., Saraçoğlu, C., Türkozan, O., Barraud, T., Gürses, R.K. (2024) Legally protected species in Turkish Seas according to the fisheries legislation between 1973-2023 and some recommendations. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 30(3): 200-236.

Begun, T., Muresan, M., Zaharia, T., Dencheva, K., Sezgin, M., Bat, L., Velikova, V. (2012) Conservation and Protection of the Black Sea Biodiversity. Review of the existing and planned protected areas in the Black Sea (Bulgaria, Romania, Türkiye) with a special focus on possible deficiencies regarding law enforcement and implementation of management plans. European Commission Directorate-General for the Environment. MISIS Project Deliverables. Available at: www.misisproject.eu

CBD (2022a) Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Montreal, Canada.

CBD (2022b) Open-ended working group on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, Fifth meeting Montreal, 3-5 December, Agenda item 4.

CBD (2022c) COP 15: Four Goals, 23 Targets for 2030. Available at https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-cbd-press-release-final-19dec2022 (accessed 15 March 2025).

Ceylan, N. (2022) Trace of Ceylan in Nature. Net Kitaplık Publication, Ankara, Türkiye (in Turkish).

Dudley, N. (Ed.) (2008) Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

Gücü, A.C., Öztürk, B. (2011) Scientific rational for the proposed CIESM North Levant Marine Peace Park. Marine Peace parks in the Mediterranean – A CIESM Proposal, Syracuse, Italy, pp. 61-68.

Güçlüsoy, H. (2016) Marine and coastal protected areas of Turkish Levantine coasts (Eastern Mediterranean). In: The Turkish part of the Mediterranean Sea, Marine Biodiversity, Fisheries, Conservation and Governance, (eds., Turan, C., Salihoğlu, B., Özgür Özbek, E., Öztürk, B.), Turkish Marine Research Foundation, Publication no: 43, Istanbul, Türkiye, pp. 522-534.

Keskin, Ç., Gönülal, O., Oral, M., Topaloğlu, B., Dalyan, C. (2023) Biodiversity and structure of macrofauna in the Karaburun-Ildır Bay Special Environmental Protected area and adjacent waters (Central Aegean Sea- Turkiye). Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 29(1): 87-120.

Mavruk, S., Özbek, E.Ö., Mühling, Ş.M.K. (2020) Preliminary results of the diversity and abundance of ichthyoplankton for winter and spring seasons in the northwestern Levant coast, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 26(2): 203-222.

MoAF-Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (2025) The Statistical Reports of Protected Areas and Nature Conservation [Online], Ankara, Türkiye. Available at https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/DKMP/Menu/36/Korunan-Alan-Ve-Tabiati-Koruma-Faaliyetleri-Istatistik-Raporlari (accessed 15 March 2025).

MoEUCC-Ministry of Environment Urbanization and Climate Change (2023) Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action 2024-2030, Ankara.

Öztürk, B. (2009) Marine protected areas in the high seas of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas, some proposals. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 15: 69-82.

Öztürk, B. (2013) Some remarks of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Turkish part of the Black Sea. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 19(2): 256-267.

Öztürk, B. (2022) Editor’s Note to the issue dedicated to the Finike Seamounts (Anaximander) Special Environmental Protection Area, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 28(2): 127-138.

Öztürk, B., Gönülal, G. (2024) A study on some banks in the North Aegean Sea. Bulletin de la Commission internationale pour l’exploration scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée 43, Palermo, Italy. pp. 219.

Öztürk, B., Ozturk, A.A., Keskin, C., Sezgin, M., Bat, L., Kideys, A. (2013) Some proposal of the marine protected areas in the Turkish Black Sea coast. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 19(3):365-379.

Öztürk, B., Topçu, E.N., Keskin, Ç. (2012) SPAMI Proposals for Finike (Anaximander) and Mediterranean (Eratosthenes) Seamounts in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The 2012 Forum of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, 25-28 November 2012. Antalya, Türkiye.

Şekercioğlu, Ç.H., Anderson, S., Akçay, E., Bilgin, R., Can, Ö.E., Semiz, G., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Yokeş, M.B., Soyumert, A., İpekdal, K., Sağlam, İ.K., Yücel, M., Dalfes, H.N. (2011) Türkiye’s globally important biodiversity in crisis. Biological Conservation 144(12): 2752-2769.

Tezel, D., Inam, S., Kocaman, S. (2020) GIS-Based assessment of habitat networks for conservation planning in Kas-Kekova protected area (Turkey). International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing International Journal of Geo-Information 9(2): 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9020091

Tezel, D., Özdemir, İ., Yenipınar, İ. (2013) Protected Areas Management System (SAYS). TMMOB Geographic Information Systems Congress, Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, General Directorate of Protection of Natural Assets, Ankara, Türkiye (in Turkish).

Topçu, E.N., Öztürk, B. (2010) Abundance and composition of solid waste materials on the western part of the Turkish Black Sea seabed. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 13(3): 301-306.

UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2024) Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) [Online], December, Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net (accessed 15 March 2025).

Wu, R., Hua, C., Yu, G., Ma, J., Yang, F., Wang, J., Zhao, H. (2020) Assessing protected area overlaps and performance to attain China’s new national park system. Biological Conservation 241: 108382.

Zaitsev, Y., Öztürk, B. (2001) Exotic Species in the Aegean, Marmara, Black, Azov and Caspian Seas. Turkish Marine Research Foundation, Publication no: 8, Istanbul, Türkiye.