Caretta caretta hatchlings released at Çıralı beach in Antalya
The Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin and his wife Ebru Şahin led a conservation event on Çıralı beach, Kemer district, as part of the Antalya Mavi Akdeniz Initiative. The first Caretta caretta nest of 2026, bringing the total number of nests on the beach to 108, saw its hatchlings safely guided into the Mediterranean under the watch of volunteers and experts.
Organisers highlighted that the effort builds on 26 years of volunteer‑driven protection at Çıralı. Volunteers, including members of the Çıralı Sea Turtle Protection, Monitoring and Research Centre, stayed night‑and‑day on the shore to ensure the newborns reached the sea, urging the public to treat the habitat with greater care.
The ceremony also served to promote broader sea‑pollution mitigation and environmental awareness across the Mediterranean region.