Cleanup drive clears Turkish waters of 60 tons of waste

ISTANBUL

More than 60 tons of solid waste were removed from Türkiye’s seas in 2025 under the Blue Breath (Mavi Nefes) Project, a marine conservation initiative working in coordination with the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry.

According to project officials, science-based and measurable activities were carried out throughout the year in the Marmara Sea, Lake Van, Göcek and the Saros Gulf. In total, over 60 tons of solid waste and 613,000 liters of liquid waste were extracted from marine environments.

Efforts ranged from waste removal and seagrass restoration to coral ecosystem protection and public awareness programs, running simultaneously across multiple sites.

Launched in 2021 in response to the mucilage crisis in the Marmara Sea, the project aims to deliver long-term ecological impact by combining scientific research, technology and civil society engagement.

Şadan Kaptanoğlu, chairwoman of TURMEPA, which co-launched Blue Breath with Garanti BBVA, highlighted the vital role of seas in sustaining life, stressing the need for continuous and determined conservation measures.