In the statement made by the General Directorate of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, it was noted that significant improvements were observed in the quality of sea water with the regulation on the Management of Bathing Water Quality in Turkey and the studies carried out on the prevention of marine pollution.
HOW MANY BLUE FLAG BEACHES ARE THERE IN TURKEY?
It is the most accepted eco label applied in more than 50 countries internationally. Blue Flag Turkey, which enters the program with more and more beaches every year, has been qualified to enter this year with 551 beaches, 23 marinas, 10 individual yachts and 14 tourism boats.
In the Blue Flag ranking announced by the International Environmental Education Foundation (FEE), headquartered in Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, Turkey has again qualified to be the third in the world with the number of beaches. While Spain took the first place in the ranking, Greece took the second place, Italy and France followed Turkey in the third place.
Within the scope of the 2023 Blue Flag awards, Antalya won the match with its 231 blue flag beaches. While Muğla is in the second place with 110 blue flag beaches, it was shared that 63 of İzmir’s beaches are blue flagged. Balıkesir ranked fourth in the list with its 46 blue flag beaches. On the other hand, the blue flag is waving at 35 beaches of Aydın.
THERE ARE BLUE FLAG BEACHES IN 20 CITIES OF TURKEY
13 beaches in Samsun, 12 in Çanakkale, 11 in Mersin, 9 in Kocaeli and 6 in Tekirdağ have the blue flag. Other provinces included in the list of blue flag beaches are; Bartın with 3 beaches, Ordu with 2 beaches, Bursa with 2 beaches, and Zonguldak with 2 beaches. According to the list, which includes blue flag beaches from 20 provinces, the provinces with 1 blue flag beach are; They were listed as Istanbul, Kırklareli, Sakarya, Düzce, Van and Edirne.
The Blue Flag numbers of Turkey for the last 6 years are as follows:
“2018 year 459 Beaches, 22 marinas, 10 individual yachts.
463 beaches, 22 marinas, 15 individual yachts in 2019.
486 beaches, 22 marinas, 7 individual yachts in 2020.
519 beaches, 22 marinas, 6 individual yachts, 10 tourism boats in 2021.
531 beaches, 24 marinas, 5 individual yachts, 15 tourism boats in 2022.
551 beaches, 23 marinas, 10 individual yachts, 14 tourism boats in 2023.
WHAT IS A BLUE FLAG?
The Blue Flag is the award given by the International Environmental Education Foundation (FEE), which operates in 44 countries, to beaches and marinas that meet certain criteria.