Turkish Cities Hold Sea‑Floor Cleanups for World Environment Week

Istanbul’s Kartal district and Mersin province organised marine‑pollution awareness events during World Environment Week. In Kartal, the municipality partnered with Istanbul Gedik University, DSS Dive Academy and LazySealDive Center for the "Su Yoksa Hayat Yok" program on 8 June, coinciding with Marmara Sea Day. Thirty‑six divers cleaned the Marmara Sea floor, retrieving plastic, glass and other debris that were later displayed, while students created art from the waste. Mayor Gökhan Yüksel stressed that “Marmara Denizi’nin temiz kalması bizim elimizde.”

In Mersin, the metropolitan municipality’s Environmental Protection and Control Department led a Marina sea‑bottom cleanup. Firefighter‑divers from the Rescue and Search Unit removed items such as plastic, ropes, wood, tires and shopping baskets, which were also exhibited to highlight pollution. Engineer Baran Kırboğa noted that the effort continued from previous years and aimed to raise public awareness about protecting the seas.