Forests in Turkey

Autumn in Yedigöller National Park

Forests cover almost a third of Turkey. They are almost all state-owned, and vary from temperate rainforest in the north-east to maquis in the south and west. Pine, fir, oak and beech are common.

After the glaciers retreated over ten thousand years ago, woods grew to cover most of the land which is now Turkey; however over thousands of years, people cut down many of the trees. The country is slowly reforesting, which is good both for its wildlife and to absorb carbon to help limit climate change.

As of the mid-2020s the main forest income is from wood, and they are also important for recreation. Unfortunately, almost half the forest is badly degraded and woodlands are also threatened by drought, wildfire, mining, and pests and diseases.