Van Lake Deveboynu declared 54th national park

ANKARA

Small boats anchor along the pristine shores of the Deveboynu Peninsula, backed by the steep, rugged mountains of Lake Van.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı declared the Deveboynu Peninsula spanning the eastern provinces of Van and Bitlis as Türkiye’s 54th national park to boost regional ecotourism.

Yumaklı said the government placed the peninsula located on the borders of the Gevaş and Tatvan districts under protection due to its turquoise bays along Van Lake, the country’s largest lake, untouched nature, rich wildlife and thousand-year historical heritage.

“With our terror-free Türkiye goal, we will unearth the unique values of this ancient geography more strongly and increase the ecotourism potential of our region,” he said on social media.

The designation is part of a broader state strategy to transform eastern Anatolia into a prominent destination for international nature enthusiasts by preserving the fragile biodiversity of the Van Lake basin. Following decades of regional security concerns, consecutive conservation initiatives now aim to safeguard the region’s geographical assets and stimulate rural economies through sustainable tourism.