Turkey's Beaches Rank 4th in World

The “Clean Environment, Green world, Blue Sea ” campaign has been launched with the cooperation of the Turkey Environment Education Association (TÜRÇEV) and the daily Hürriyet. 

Turkey, with its 235 blue flag beaches, ranked fourth in the world following Spain, Greece and France said Izmir Governor Cahit Kiraç at the conference. “Izmir, with its 23 beaches in the districts of Selçuk, Özdere, Gümüldür, Çesme, Karaburun, Foça and Dikili, has some 10 percent of all shorelines in Turkey flying the blue flag,” said Kiraç.

“There are 33 countries all over the world implementing the blue flag system . The practice is important toward sustaining the environment. There are 27 criteria for blue flag beaches and some 22 criteria for blue flag marinas. Blue flag standards include environmental education and information studies, supplying high quality swimming water, environmental management and securing the safety of lives,” said Kiraç.

While Turkey was seventh in the world in 2006 with its 192 beaches and 10th with its 14 marinas, it ranked fourth with its 235 beaches and maintained its 10th rank with its 14 marinas in 2007.  

“Turkey has the opportunity to achieve more with its long coastlines,” Hürriyet's Izmir representative Hakan Tartan said, adding: “We should not forget that when a tourist comes to our country, she/he will be a source of information for other potential tourists. Our duty is to make them remember Turkey with pleasant memories and the blue flag is an important guarantee of a clean and safe environment. I hope we will surround all the beaches of Turkey with blue flags.”
Source: Turkish Daily News