Turkey fines pickers of endangered Akkuş flower up to 699,000 lira

In the Akkuş district of Ordu province, Turkey, the endemic flower known as the Akkuş zambağı (Lilium akkusianum) is protected by law. The plant, which grows only in this region, blooms for about 20 days each June‑July and can reach 1.5 m in height. It was first recorded in 1993 and is part of a flora that includes roughly 700 recorded plant species, 130 of them endemic.

Violators who pick the flower face an administrative fine of 699,000 Turkish lira. Ordu Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Mehmet Hilmi Güler highlighted the penalty on social media, urging residents and visitors to admire the flower but not to remove it, emphasizing its value for future generations.

The measure aims to preserve the unique biodiversity of the Argan Plateau and reinforce Turkey’s broader environmental protection efforts.