The coastal areas of Fethiye and Kaş districts in Mugla and Antalya, Turkey, as well as designated zones in the Northern Aegean, have been declared “Marine National Parks.”
Sea-news.az reports that with this move, marine national park areas have been established in the country for the first time under the Law on National Parks.
According to a decree by the Turkish President published in the Resmi Gazete, the marine areas located off the coasts of Fethiye and Kaş, as well as the demarcated area in the Northern Aegean, have attained “Marine National Park” status.
In Turkey, which currently has 50 national parks, this status has been extended to marine areas for the first time.
The Fethiye-Kash Marine National Park covers the coastal strip between the Fethiye district of Mugla and the Kaş district of Antalya. Meanwhile, the Northern Aegean Marine National Park is located in an area stretching from the coasts of the Gallipoli peninsula and Gokcheada island to the coasts of Tekirdag.
The management of the marine national parks will be carried out by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey.
Previously, Turkey had established the smaller Gokcheada Underwater National Park and a series of special marine protection zones.
Political significance of the decision Beyond its ecological importance, the creation of the marine national parks also carries political meaning against the backdrop of disputes between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean Sea.
In July 2025, Greece declared two large marine parks in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated at the time that Athens was using environmental programs for political purposes and attempting to create facts on the ground over geographical formations whose sovereignty had not been transferred to Greece by international treaties. Ankara declared these steps legally invalid.
Recent statements from the Greek side indicated that the process of establishing marine parks in the Southern and Ionian Seas is planned to be completed by the end of 2026.
Turkish media assess the new decision not only through ecological goals but also as a demonstration of Ankara’s intent to protect its maritime rights and interests within the framework of the “Blue Homeland” (Mavi Vatan) concept.
Areas included in the map in 2025 Mustafa Başkara, Director of the Ankara University National Center for Marine Law (DEHUKAM), stated that Turkey’s Maritime Spatial Planning was announced on April 16, 2025, and these maps were registered at the United Nations level on June 12, 2025.
According to him, two separate marine protection areas in the Northern Aegean and the Mediterranean were included in that map on August 2, 2025.
With the document published in the Resmi Gazete, the process of formalizing the official status of these areas based on a Presidential decree has been completed. Başkara noted that these areas demonstrate Turkey’s importance to environmental protection and ensuring the sustainability of biodiversity within the framework of international law.
Important areas for marine life According to Bashkara, the area of the Fethiye-Kash Marine National Park, heading toward the Mediterranean, is 21,706 square kilometers.
He stated that the area possesses habitats of critical importance for marine mammals. The region hosts nesting and feeding areas for numerous species, particularly sea turtles.
The area of the Northern Aegean Marine National Park is 1,742 square kilometers. According to Bashkara, this area has high ecological value in terms of marine mammals and ranks among the regions that are vital to protect.
The area features favorable natural cave systems, coastal habitats, and extensive seagrass meadows for the shelter, rest, and reproduction of Mediterranean monk seals.
The national park created in the Northern Aegean is located in a region where the islands of Lemnos, Samothrace, and Thasos are situated—an area of strategic importance to Turkey regarding the security of the straits.
The Fethiye-Kash Marine National Park encompasses the region where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas intersect, around the island of Meis (Kastellorizo), where differences of opinion regarding maritime jurisdiction exist between Turkey and Greece.
