Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Protected area / relocation · Türkiye · 1996–2025

Fethiye and Patara nesting beaches, Türkiye: Bern Convention files and recommendations, 1996-2025

Nature's voice · report
My Fethiye nesting beaches were found in 2015 to be degraded, from low to high levels depending on the stretch, through umbrellas, sunbeds, light pollution and night presence.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record.
Recorded
What the record lacks: 3 none on record · 1 not measured · 1 unclear See the gaps

The Bern Convention Standing Committee has dealt with the loggerhead nesting beaches of Patara and Fethiye since 1996 through case files and Recommendations No. 54 (1996), 66 (1998), 182 and 183 (2015). In 2025 the Patara file moved to stand-by and the Fethiye file stayed open.

Fethiye open; Patara stand-byBern Convention status of the two beaches, 2025
Status after the 45th Standing Committee meeting in 2025. No money and no national court ruling are on record.

Status As of October 2026: the Bern Convention file on Fethiye (2012/9(A)) is open; the Patara file was moved to stand-by in 2025 at the 45th Standing Committee; no national court ruling is on record.

What?
The Bern Convention Standing Committee has handled complaints and recommendations on the loggerhead nesting beaches of Patara and Fethiye since 1996; in 2025 Patara moved to stand-by and Fethiye stayed open. Council of Europe, Bern Convention
Where?
Fethiye Special Protection Area (Muğla) and Patara Special Protection Area (Antalya), Türkiye. Council of Europe, Bern Convention
When?
Recommendation No. 54 in 1996; No. 66 on 4 December 1998; MEDASSET complaint 2012; appraisal and Recommendations No. 182 and 183 in 2015; Patara stand-by in 2025. Council of Europe, Bern Convention
Who?
Gained
None on record
Lost
None on record
Harmed
  • Fethiye nesting beaches — Degraded from low to high levels by stretch in the 2015 appraisal (umbrellas, sunbeds, light pollution, night presence) Council of Europe, Bern Convention
Why?
MEDASSET complained in 2012 about summer houses, coastal roads, light pollution, dune and forest erosion and fishing; Recommendation No. 66 (1998) had earlier addressed vehicles, horse riding, airport plans and unbuilt beach plots. Council of Europe, Bern Convention
How?
Through Bern Convention case files, an on-the-spot appraisal in 2015, and Standing Committee recommendations; the appraisal's expert found the legislative framework "seems inadequate". Council of Europe, Bern Convention
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

A first Bern Convention file on Patara (1993/1) ran from 1996 to 2001, and Recommendation No. 54 (1996) concerned Caretta caretta at Patara. In Recommendation No. 66, adopted on 4 December 1998 on nesting beaches for marine turtles in Turkey, the Standing Committee asked Turkey, for Patara, to prohibit vehicles and horse riding on the beach and to "take steps to abandon plans for the construction of the airport". For Fethiye it asked Turkey to "secure the remaining unbuilt beach plots against development".

MEDASSET complained again in 2012 about summer houses, coastal roads, light pollution, dune and forest erosion and fishing at the two Special Protection Areas. An on-the-spot appraisal in 2015 found Patara's nesting habitat in "very good" condition and Fethiye's degraded from low to high levels depending on the stretch, through umbrellas, sunbeds, light pollution and night presence. An expert in the appraisal found that the legislative framework "seems inadequate" to protect the Special Protection Areas. The Standing Committee adopted Recommendation No. 182 (Patara) and No. 183 (Fethiye) in 2015.

In 2025, at its 45th meeting, the Standing Committee moved the Patara file to stand-by; the Fethiye file (2012/9(A)) stayed open. No national court ruling is on record and the sources reviewed record no money in the case.

  1. 1996Bern Convention Recommendation No. 54 on Caretta caretta at Patara; first Patara file (1993/1) runs until 2001
  2. 1998Recommendation No. 66 (4 December) on nesting beaches for marine turtles in Turkey, covering Patara and Fethiye
  3. 2012MEDASSET lodges a new complaint on Fethiye and Patara (file 2012/9)
  4. 2015On-the-spot appraisal; Recommendations No. 182 (Patara) and No. 183 (Fethiye)
  5. 202545th Standing Committee: Patara moved to stand-by; Fethiye stays open

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“take steps to abandon plans for the construction of the airport”

“secure the remaining unbuilt beach plots against development”

“seems inadequate”

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

    Recorded

    • Recommendation No. 66 (1998) asked Turkey, for Patara, to prohibit vehicles and horse riding on the beach and abandon the airport plans, and, for Fethiye, to secure the remaining unbuilt beach plots against development.
      Council of Europe, Bern Convention
    • 2015 on-the-spot appraisal: Patara's nesting habitat "very good"; Fethiye's degraded from low to high levels by stretch (umbrellas, sunbeds, light pollution, night presence).
      Council of Europe, Bern Convention
    • 2025: Patara moved to stand-by; Fethiye open (file 2012/9(A)).
      Council of Europe, Bern Convention

    In court and with insurers

    Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

    Lawsuits and rulings

    1. 1996–2001Outcome not on record
      Bern Convention file 1993/1, Türkiye: Patara
      Bern Convention Standing Committee (Council of Europe) · International court · Bern Convention Standing Committee → Türkiye

      The first Patara file ran from 1996 to 2001 and included Recommendation No. 54 (1996) on Caretta caretta at Patara. Recommendation No. 66 (1998) asked Turkey to prohibit vehicles and horse riding on the beach and to abandon plans for an airport. Council of Europe, Bern Convention

    2. 2012–Ongoing
      Bern Convention file 2012/9, Türkiye: presumed degradation of nesting beaches in Fethiye and Patara SPAs
      Bern Convention Standing Committee (Council of Europe) · International court · MEDASSET (complainant) → Türkiye

      After an on-the-spot appraisal in 2015 the Standing Committee adopted Recommendation No. 182 (Patara) and No. 183 (Fethiye). In 2025 Patara moved to stand-by; the Fethiye file (2012/9(A)) stays open. No national court ruling is on record. Council of Europe, Bern Convention

    Insurers

    No insurer decision on record.

    What nature saw

    Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

    Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

    Patara nesting habitat, 2015 appraisal
    "Very good"
    Bern Convention on-the-spot appraisal, qualitative finding
    Fethiye nesting habitat, 2015 appraisal
    Degraded, low to high levels by stretch
    Umbrellas, sunbeds, light pollution and night presence; qualitative finding

    What we don't know

    Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
    No court case

    Court

    • Unclear Bern Convention file 1993/1, Türkiye: Patara: outcome not on record.

    Record

    • Not measured Not measured: the pages reviewed give qualitative appraisal findings only, with no nest counts or other measurements.
    • None on record None on record: money in the case, and a national court ruling.
    • None on record Not stated: what the "positive developments" at Patara are, on which the move to stand-by in 2025 rests.
    • None on record None on record: a named beneficiary of the activities recorded at Fethiye; the sources reviewed refer to local authorities and beach businesses without naming them.

    Did the harm stop?

    The Bern Convention moved Patara to stand-by in 2025 and left Fethiye open. The sources reviewed do not say whether the degradation recorded at Fethiye in 2015 has stopped.

    Who paid?

    None on record.

    Sources

    Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts— Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers✓ International bodies

    International bodies

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    Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
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