Kuşadası launches exhibition on endangered Tülüşah flower, fines pickers up to 699,245 lira

The Kuşadası municipality opened a dedicated exhibition at the İbramaki Sanat Galerisi to showcase the endemic Tülüşah (Aydın Gaşağı), a flower that exists only in the region and is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN. The opening ceremony was attended by Kaymakam İbrahim Keklik, forest engineers from the Aydın and Manisa Nature Conservation and National Parks branches, municipal representatives and local nature‑lover groups. The plant is under a special protection plan by Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Organizers use the exhibition to raise awareness that illegal picking of Tülüşah now carries a fine of 699,245 Turkish lira. EKODOSD president Bahattin Sürücü said, "Kuşadası'nın sembolü haline gelen Tülüşahların ve yaşam alanlarını mutlaka korumalıyız." The flower began blooming this year in several sites around Kuşadası, prompting the call for stricter protection.