Community environmental volunteerism in Turkey

Local volunteer initiatives have emerged in various Turkish cities to address environmental cleanliness and community maintenance.

In Çanakkale, the “Tertemiz Bir Çanakkale Topluluğu” (A Clean Çanakkale Community) was founded by Yusuf Kaya approximately 1.5 months ago. The group has expanded from three to roughly 40 members who conduct regular cleanups of streets, coastal areas, and forests to collect plastic, glass, and packaging. Kaya noted that while littering is done by a minority, the city is heavily affected by waste due to insufficient containers and lack of wind protection for bins.

In Denizli, the Yenişehir neighborhood saw a cleaning and environmental arrangement campaign led by the Denizli Metropolitan Municipality City Council Elderly Assembly and the Denizli Third Age Association. This initiative, part of the ‘Age-Friendly City: Denizli’ vision, involved residents and youth working to improve livability. The event also highlighted the ‘Neighborhood Volunteers’ project, which allows residents to report maintenance and cleaning needs directly to the municipality.