The Nature Conservation Centre in Turkey (DKM) and Eurosite – the European Land Conservation Network are organising a photo exhibition, named Turkey’s Natural Values in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The exhibition is organised within the “Nature and Cities Project” to have a short journey to Turkey’s unique nature. The exhibition consists of 58 different photographs from 22 different photographers.

The exhibition offers visitors an insight into Turkey’s natural values: forests, marine and coastal areas, mountains and caves, steppes, wetlands, plants, birds, mammals, butterflies, and nature in cities together with different ecosystems and important plant and animal species.

The official opening of the exhibition will be held on 10 October 2020, with the participation of representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in the Netherlands, Tilburg Municipality, Spoorpark Initiative, and the President of Eurosite. The photo exhibition can be visited at Spoorpark as an outdoor activity during a period of 16 days (10-25 October 2020). Weather conditions and COVID 19 rules will be taken into account.

Dr. Uğur Zeydanlı, Chairperson of the Nature Conservation Centre said that the exhibition aims to have a closer look at Turkey’s diverse ecosystems, important plant and animal species and habitats. He pointed out that Turkey’s natural values and its protection are important for the protection of Europe’s biodiversity and are never considered separately. He also added that Turkey is not only home to many civilizations, but that it also hosts three out of 35 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Turkey, with around 10,000 plant species, of which 3,500 are endemic to the country, is the most important country in the northern hemisphere in this context. Turkey is located on major bird migration routes, and there are 485 birds, over 170 mammals, nearly 380 butterflies, 168 reptiles and amphibians, 512 marine fish, and over 370 freshwater fish species.

The photo exhibition is also available online.

The “Nature and Cities Project” is supported by the program “Turkey – EU Civil Society Dialogue V” coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of the European Union, and conducted by the partners Nature Conservation Centre Foundation (DKM) and Eurosite – the European Land Conservation Network, in cooperation with Çankaya Municipality and beIN İZ TV. The main objective of the project is to develop the dialogue, knowledge transfer and cooperation between civil society organisations in Turkey and the Netherlands on environmental and sustainable development issues, and to encourage nature-based solutions and green infrastructure in cities in the framework of the European Union acquis.