Wildlife of Turkey
The wildlife of Turkey is abundant and diverse. Turkey is a large country with many geographic and climatic regions and a great diversity of plants and animals, each suited to its own particular habitat. About 1,500 species of vertebrates and 19,000 species of invertebrates have been recorded in the country. Some of the world's staple crops were first cultivated in this area and many of their wild relatives are still found here. The country acts as a crossroads for many birds during migration, connecting Europe, Asia, and the Near East.
Threats
Threats to biodiversity include desertification due to climate change in Turkey, which is forecast to move the ecoregions northwards, and large scale infrastructure projects such as those near Istanbul. Land degradation threatens biodiversity loss, and water scarcity is also a problem. Küre and Kaçkar Mountains National Parks have been suggested for rewilding. Several marine fish and mammals have greatly declined, in part due to overfishing.
Policy
Turkey enforced the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats from 1999, but according to one study laws and legal decisions still had some deficiencies in 2019, especially regarding migratory species and international coordination. The government plans to increase protected areas from the 9% in 2019 to 17% by 2023. Official restrictions on access to environmental information hamper biodiversity monitoring. In 2020 it was suggested that more use of remote sensing and citizen science could help to make the first complete map of the nation's land cover.