The following is a list of national parks in Turkey.
History The concept of a national park was introduced for the first time in Turkey by Selahattin İnal, who argued that "nature reserves should have the status of a national park and they should be determined according to natural beauty and touristic potential criteria." The concept was included in the 25th article of the Forest Law adopted on 31 August 1956, and was included in the legal plane for the first time. The General Directorate of Forestry, which is given the responsibility of the national parks by law, is authorized to declare a national park for the purpose of using it as a scientific and public sports and recreation area, provided that the fauna and flora of the forested areas are preserved. Until 1983, only areas that had forest cover fell within the category of national parks, but the National Parks Law, which was adopted on 8 August 1983, new protection statuses such as nature parks, nature preserve areas, and nature monuments were established and areas with historical, touristic or cultural values could now be declared as national parks even if they were not covered by forests. According to the current version of the law, the declaration of a new national park falls within the powers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which takes the advice of the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning on zoning, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on historical and touristic matters.
In the cases where the area set to become a national park consists of lands belonging to the public as well as fields belonging to the individuals, the area is taken under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which can use measures such as expropriation, transfer, allocation or donation under the Expropriation Law. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has the right to organize, manage, or operate national parks. The right to operate is valid only for national parks not covered by the state forests, and the right to operate the state forests cannot be transferred in accordance with article 169 of the constitution. The management of the national parks is directly done by the Directorate of National Parks, a subbranch of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, which itself is controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Yozgat Pine Grove National Park, one of the remaining ruins of the ancient forests in Central Anatolia, was declared Turkey's first national park on 5 February 1958. Antalya has the highest number of national parks among the provinces by having five national parks within its boundaries. With a height of and an area of , Mount Ararat National Park is Turkey's largest and highest national park. The last area to be declared a national park was Botan Valley National Park, which was listed on 15 August 2019. Turkey has a total of 44 national parks, which cover an area of .
Key
National parks National parksLocationListing dateAreaReference(s)ImageMount Ararat National ParkAğrı, IğdırAladağlar National Park Adana, Kayseri, NiğdeAltınbeşik Cave National ParkAntalyaAltındere Valley National Park TrabzonCommander-in-Chief National Historic ParkAfyon, Kütahya, UşakBeydağları Coastal National ParkAntalyaDerebucak Çamlık Caves National ParkKonyaLake Abant National ParkBoluLake Beyşehir National ParkKonyaBoğazköy-Alacahöyük National ParkÇorumBotan Valley National ParkSiirtDilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National ParkAydınHakkari Cilo-Sat Mountains National ParkHakkâri Fethiye-Kaş Marine Park Antalya, MuğlaLake Gala National ParkEdirneMount Güllük-Termessos National ParkAntalyaHatila Valley National ParkArtvinMount Honaz National ParkDenizliMount Ilgaz National ParkÇankırı, KastamonuMount Sarıçalı National ParkAnkaraİğneada Floodplain Forests National Park KırklareliIndependence Path National Historic Park Ankara, Çankırı, KastamonuKaçkar Mountains National ParkArtvin, Erzurum, RizeKaragöl-Sahara National ParkArtvinKaratepe-Aslantaş National ParkOsmaniyeKazdağı National ParkBalıkesirKızıldağ National ParkIspartaMount Kop Defense National Historic ParkBayburt, ErzurumLake Kovada National ParkIspartaKöprülü Canyon National ParkAntalyaKuşcenneti National ParkBalıkesirKüre Mountains National Park Bartın, KastamonuBattle of Manzikert National Historic ParkMuşMarmaris National ParkMuğlaMunzur Valley National ParkTunceliMount Nemrut National ParkAdıyaman, MalatyaNene Hatun National Historic ParkErzurum North Aegean Marine Park Çanakkale, EdirneBattle of Sakarya National Historic ParkAnkaraSaklıkent National ParkAntalya, MuğlaSarıkamış-Allahuekber Mountains National ParkErzurum, KarsSoğuksu National ParkAnkaraMount Sipylus National Parkİzmir, ManisaSultan Reedy National ParkKayseriTek Tek Mountains National Park ŞanlıurfaAncient Troy National ParkÇanakkaleUludağ National ParkBursaYedigöller National ParkBoluYozgat Pine Grove National Park YozgatYumurtalık Lagoon National ParkAdana
National parks by province Province No. National parks Antalya 5 Altınbeşik Cave National Park, Beydağları Coastal National Park, Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park, Köprülü Canyon National Park, Saklıkent National Park Ankara 4 Independence Path National Historic Park, Battle of Sakarya National Historic Park, Soğuksu National Park, Mount Sarıçalı National Park Artvin 3 Hatila Valley National Park, Kaçkar Mountains National Park, Karagöl-Sahara National Park Erzurum 4 Kaçkar Mountains National Park, Mount Kop Defensive National Historic Park, Nene Hatun National Historic Park, Sarıkamış-Allahuekber Mountains National Park Hakkâri 1 Hakkari Cilo-Sat Mountains National Park Kastamonu 3 Mount Ilgaz National Park, Independence Path National Historic Park, Küre Mountains National Park Adana 2 Aladağlar National Park, Balıkesir 2 Kazdağı National Park, Çankırı 2 Mount Ilgaz National Park, Independence Path National Historic Park Isparta 2 Kızıldağ National Park, Lake Kovada National Park Kayseri 2 Aladağlar National Park, Muğla 2 Marmaris National Park, Saklıkent National Park Adıyaman 1 Afyon 1 Commander-in-Chief National Historic Park Ağrı 1 Mount Ararat National Park Aydın 1 Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park Bartın 1 Küre Mountains National Park Bayburt 1 Mount Kop Defensive National Historic Park Bolu 2 Yedigöller National Park, Lake Abant National Park Bursa 1 Uludağ National Park Çanakkale 1 Çorum 1 Boğazköy-Alacahöyük National Park Denizli 1 Mount Honaz National Park Edirne 1 Lake Gala National Park Iğdır 1 Mount Ararat National Park İzmir 1 Mount Sipylus National Park Kars 1 Sarıkamış-Allahuekber Mountains National Park Kırklareli 1 İğneada Floodplain Forests National Park Konya 2 Lake Beyşehir National Park, Derebucak Çamlık Caves National Park Kütahya 1 Commander-in-Chief National Historic Park Malatya 1 Mount Nemrut National Park Manisa 1 Mount Sipylus National Park Muş 1 Battle of Manzikert National Historic Park Niğde 1 Aladağlar National Park Osmaniye 1 Karatepe-Aslantaş National Park Rize 1 Kaçkar Mountains National Park Siirt 1 Botan Valley National Park Şanlıurfa 1 Tek Tek Mountains National Park Trabzon 1 Altındere Valley National Park Tunceli 1 Munzur Valley National Park Uşak 1 Commander-in-Chief National Historic Park Yozgat 1 Yozgat Pine Grove National Park
Former national parks NameProvinceListing dateDelisting dateAreaLocationReference(s)ImageNotesGallipoli Peninsula National Historic ParkÇanakkale334.39 km2 Status changed to special administration under "Gallipoli War Historical Site Directorate".Göreme National ParkNevşehir96.14 km2 Status changed to special administration under "Cappadocia Area Administration".
Map
References Inline citations
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External links
National parks map system