WWF-Turkey

WWF-Turkey is the national office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the world’s leading nature conservation organization, 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, by conserving the world's biological diversity; ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

WWF’s guiding principles include the following;

• be global, independent, multicultural and non party political
• use the best available scientific information to address issues and critically evaluate all its endeavours
• seek dialogue and avoid unnecessary confrontation
• build concrete conservation solutions through a combination of field based projects, policy initiatives, capacity building and education work
• involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the planning and execution of its field programmes, respecting their cultural as well as economic needs
• strive to build partnerships with other organizations, governments, business and local communities to enhance WWF’s effectiveness
• run its operations in a cost effective manner and apply donors’ funds according to the highest standards of accountability.

WWF currently works under the following programmes: 1) Wildlife, 2) Oceans, 3) Freshwater, 4) Forests, 5) Food, 6) Climate & Energy, 7) Finance, 8) Governance, 9) Markets. WWF's offices carry out conservation work such as practical field projects, scientific research, advising local and national governments on environmental policy,promoting environmental education, and raising awareness of environmental issues.

WWF-Turkey (officially registered as Doğal Hayatı Koruma Vakfı in Turkey) became national office of WWF in 2001. However, the history of its parent organization called The Turkish Society for Protection of Nature (DHKD) dates back to 1975. Since then, the organization, with strong professional capacity, has put a firm stamp on nature conservation in Turkey, through implementation of numerous projects and delivery of outputs, including the following:

• Conservation of the endangered marine turtles and their habitats
• Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Turkey
• Important Plant Areas (IPAs) of Turkey
• Establishment and effectiveness of Protected Areas (including MPAs)
• Ecological Footprint of Turkey
• Sustainable fisheries

WWF-Turkey’s main activities under “M7 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 and teachers.
• Advocacy for better conservation of marine turtles and their habitats.
• Dissemination and implementation of best practices.

For more information and current activities of WWF-Turkey, pls visit: www.wwf.org.tr