Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area

In June 1988 it was determined and declared the first protected area of its kind (Özel Çevre Koruma Bölgesi) of Turkey.

The area got its special status as a result of Prince Philip´s request to the Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal for a moratorium on the construction of a hotel complex at İztuzu Beach,[2] while awaiting an environmental impact assessment.

At the time Prince Philip was President of the WWF, which had been approached by environmentalists such as June Haimoff, Günther Peter, David Bellamy, Lily Venizelos, Nergis Yazgan and Keith Corbett to help stop the construction of a hotel complex at the beach.

The species has traditionally been important for the extraction of its sap, which is processed to balsam storax or Turkish sweetgum oil.

Unfortunately, the liquidambar forest area has been reduced by illegal tree felling [5] to create new or vaster agricultural fields.

Representative sweetgum forests can still be found on the Yuvarlakçay near the village of Kavakarası, on the bank north of Sultaniye, northwest of Hamitköy, at Köyceğiz and at Tepearası.

The Dalyan-Köyceğiz basin is in the utmost northwest of the species’ range.Northeast and southeast of Köyceğiz Lake there are lowlands, whereas other parts are surrounded by hills.

From the topmost rows of its amphitheatre and its Acropolis one has a wonderful view of the river, Alagöl (Çandır bay) and the reeds at the estuary.

Among its most conspicuous species are the hardim or starred agama, the European glass lizard, the common chameleon, and the black whip snake.

Spectacular birds at and around Caunos are the rock nuthatch, the common kestrel, the blue rock-thrush and the European roller.

200 per annum (57-330 range over the years of recording), İztuzu Beach is one of the main breeding areas of the species in the Mediterranean.

For this reason there are strict regulations [6] to counter any disturbance Since May 2009 there has been a sea turtle centre at the beach, run by the Biology Department of Pamukkale University.

The route leads along the wetlands of Sülüngür Lake, which is shut off for boat traffic at the river side by a dalyan or fishing weir.

On Bozburun Tepesi above İztuzu Beach lies a radar station, which offers a wonderful panoramic vista of the Köyceğiz-Dalyan SEPA.