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Conservationists at Iztuzu Beach, one of the Mediterranean's most protected areas, have finished getting ready for the loggerhead sea turtle nesting season in the Ortaca district of Mugla province.
Officials from the Marine Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER), supported by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, replaced stakes damaged by storms and put up new informational signs along the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) shoreline.
DEKAMER director Yakup Kaska told reporters that conservation efforts have led to a significant increase in the number of nests on the beach since the 1990s, when there were about 200.
"Iztuzu Beach serves as a model for conservation efforts in Türkiye and across the Mediterranean," Kaska said.
"In particular, the protection and monitoring of sea turtles can be cited as the best example of the work carried out in our country within the framework of 'zero waste,' and Iztuzu Beach stands out as a leading site in this regard."
Kaska said the number of nests has reached nearly 700 in recent years and described the beach as one of the best-protected places in the Mediterranean.
DEKAMER project assistant and biologist Fatih Polat explained that the turtles begin migrating to their nesting grounds in April, when they also start feeding and mating.
"If weather conditions remain favorable, we expect the first nesting to take place by the end of April," Polat said. He also mentioned that the nesting area is monitored by a drone.
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