Two marine areas whose boundaries are defined by maps and coordinate lists have been designated as national parks in the Fethiye–Kaş and North Aegean regions. The presidential decisions were published in Türkiye’s Official Gazette on August 16, 2026. Decision No. 11626 covers the Fethiye–Kaş Marine National Park, while Decision No. 11627 covers the North Aegean Marine National Park.
What was published in the Official Gazette?
The two measures appear among the presidential decisions in the executive and administrative section of the day’s Official Gazette. Their titles state that the areas shown within the boundaries of attached maps and coordinate lists are designated as national parks. Bloomberg HT and other current news outlets reported the same park names and decision numbers.
Decision No. 11626 for Fethiye–Kaş and Decision No. 11627 for the North Aegean are separate legal measures. In both cases, the formal geographic boundaries are defined through maps and coordinate lists attached to the decisions. The official annexes, rather than the broad regional names alone, are therefore the controlling reference for the extent of each park.
What does the national park status establish?
The verified effect of the published decisions is the designation and naming of the two areas as national parks. The decision titles specifically use the names Fethiye–Kaş and North Aegean. The titles do not, by themselves, provide detailed operating rules for visits, shipping, fishing or tourism. Practical rules on those activities may be set out later through management plans and implementation notices issued by the relevant authorities.
That distinction matters for residents, businesses and visitors. The designation should not be read as proof that every day-to-day rule was announced at the same time. What the available sources establish is that the status and boundaries of the two areas were set through presidential decisions.
Why is the timing notable?
The waters off Fethiye–Kaş and the North Aegean had previously appeared in Türkiye’s work on marine protected areas and maritime spatial planning. A 2025 Anadolu Agency report identified both regions among protected areas added to the national maritime planning map. The August 16, 2026 decisions represent the newer formal step that names the two areas as marine national parks.
The publication of the measures in the same Official Gazette issue under consecutive decision numbers shows that the designations were made at the same time. Claims about wider environmental, economic or diplomatic consequences should not be treated as settled unless they are supported by the decision texts or later official documents.
What should be watched next?
For the practical management of the parks, future boundary materials, coordinate lists, management plans and activity-specific notices from authorized institutions will be important. Mariners, fishing operators, tourism businesses and visitors should consult the Official Gazette and current announcements from the responsible authorities before making decisions based on the new status.
The verified position at this stage is straightforward: two presidential decisions published on August 16, 2026 established separate marine national parks in Fethiye–Kaş and the North Aegean. Their boundaries depend on the official maps and coordinates attached to the decisions, while detailed rules for activities should be followed through subsequent official implementation documents.
