The number of Blue Flag beaches in Turkey has reached 531.
This was stated by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
The Blue Flag is an international award given annually since 1987 to beaches and marinas whose water meets high-quality standards and is suitable for safe swimming.
The Blue Flag category is administered by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which is a non-profit non-governmental organization.
As of May 2022, Turkey is second only to Spain and Greece in the number of blue flag beaches.
Ersoy emphasized that this year the number of Blue Flag beaches in Turkey reached 531. According to him, Turkey in 2023 plans to take first place in the world in terms of the number of Blue Flag beaches.
Ersoy noted that public beaches in Antalya and Mugla will also be marked with the Blue Flag this year.
“There are 5 public beaches in Antalya with the Blue Flag, and one in Muğla,” Ersoy said.
The Minister recalled that last year the number of Blue Flag beaches in Turkey was 519.
The number of beaches with a blue flag in the “tourist capital” of Turkey – Antalya for the year increased to 229, in Mugla – up to 111, in Mersin – up to 11, in Kirklareli and Sakarya – up to two.