WWF-Turkey is the national office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), who actively works in 100 countries and is supported by five million members globally. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. 
WWF currently works under 6 programs: 1) Wildlife, 2) Oceans, 3) Freshwater, 4) Forests, 5) Food, 6) Climate & Energy. WWF's offices carry out conservation work such as practical field projects, scientific research, advising local and national governments on environmental policy, and raising awareness of environmental issues.

Numerous projects have been implemented since almost 50 years, including the following, and have taken their place in Turkey's nature conservation policies:

• Establishment and effectiveness of PAs (including MPAs)
• River Basin Management 
• Conservation of marine turtles and their habitats
• Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Turkey 
• Important Plant Areas (IPAs) of Turkey
• Sustainable fisheries

WWF-Turkey carries out both field studies and national policy studies as one of the 46 partners of the collaboration “Together for the MED” - https://www.togetherforthemed.org/. This partnership between NGOs, International Organisations, research centers, private companies, networks or foundations is committed to reducing the pressures on Mediterranean biodiversity. They work together to bring fisheries sustainability, reduce their impact on seagrass meadows and coralligenous habitats, reduce the accidental bycatch of cetaceans, seabirds, sea turtles and sharks, and reduce the negative interactions between fishers and marine mammals. 

WWF-Turkey’s main activities under the “Conservation of Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean” project are satellite tracking of green turtles in Akyatan beach to determine inter & post nesting movements between nesting sites and migration routes, capacity building for local authorities, advocacy for better conservation of marine turtles and their habitats and dissemination, and implementation of best practices. Within the scope of the MedBycatch project, field studies are carried out with fishers with 6 observers in 5 pilot areas in Turkey. At the same time, mitigation trials, policy studies and fishers trainings with local partners continue.

WWF Turkey Together for the MED

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