Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Turkey
Since 2001, Turkey has lost about 843,000 hectares of forest (about 8,400 km²): 8.4% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 88,400 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 10 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 843,000 ha8.4% of it, about 8,400 km²
- Cleared for good
- 88,400 hadeforestation, 10% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202179,200 ha lost
Map
Where Turkey has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Turkey as satellites saw it from 2000 to 2025. Yellow and green were forest; red to white marks where it has been lost since 2001, and when.
- Forest cover in 2000
- 0%25%50%75%100%How much of the land was forest: dark purple had little or none, yellow was dense forest.
- Year the forest was lost
- 200120132025Where forest was cut down, burned or cleared since 2001: red for the early years, through orange, to white for the most recent. Solid where a fifth or more of a place's forest went, fainter where 8% or more did.
- Cities
- The capital (the larger dot) and the biggest cities, to help you find your way.
Year by year
Forest lost in Turkey, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 59,700 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 35,900 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2021, when about 79,200 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,030 ha | 20,800 ha | 22,800 ha |
| 2002 | 2,130 ha | 23,500 ha | 25,600 ha |
| 2003 | 1,510 ha | 16,100 ha | 17,600 ha |
| 2004 | 3,130 ha | 25,700 ha | 28,800 ha |
| 2005 | 1,880 ha | 18,500 ha | 20,400 ha |
| 2006 | 2,710 ha | 23,100 ha | 25,800 ha |
| 2007 | 3,080 ha | 22,600 ha | 25,700 ha |
| 2008 | 3,060 ha | 25,600 ha | 28,700 ha |
| 2009 | 3,320 ha | 24,700 ha | 28,000 ha |
| 2010 | 2,680 ha | 14,300 ha | 16,900 ha |
| 2011 | 3,630 ha | 20,200 ha | 23,800 ha |
| 2012 | 3,450 ha | 25,500 ha | 28,900 ha |
| 2013 | 2,460 ha | 20,000 ha | 22,500 ha |
| 2014 | 3,240 ha | 18,700 ha | 21,900 ha |
| 2015 | 3,810 ha | 23,800 ha | 27,600 ha |
| 2016 | 3,950 ha | 21,600 ha | 25,500 ha |
| 2017 | 5,310 ha | 28,500 ha | 33,800 ha |
| 2018 | 4,450 ha | 31,100 ha | 35,600 ha |
| 2019 | 3,310 ha | 35,800 ha | 39,100 ha |
| 2020 | 3,340 ha | 42,000 ha | 45,300 ha |
| 2021 | 3,830 ha | 75,400 ha | 79,200 ha |
| 2022 | 3,400 ha | 49,900 ha | 53,300 ha |
| 2023 | 4,840 ha | 49,200 ha | 54,100 ha |
| 2024 | 3,150 ha | 37,000 ha | 40,100 ha |
| 2025 | 10,700 ha | 61,200 ha | 71,900 ha |
The satellite method improved in 2011, so compare recent years with each other rather than with the 2000s. Hover over or tap a year for its figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation in Turkey?
- 10%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 87%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.8%cause unknown
- Logging68% · 569,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires19% · 159,000 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Mining and energy4.4% · 36,800 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Towns and roads3.3% · 27,500 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.9% · 24,100 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes2.8% · 23,400 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, shifting farming.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Is all forest loss deforestation?
No. When forest is cleared for farms, mines or towns, it is gone for good: that is deforestation. When it is logged or burned, it usually grows back. We count both as forest lost, but only the first as deforestation, so a country with a bad fire year isn't shown as clearing its forest for good.
Provinces that lost the most
| Province | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antalya | 66,600 ha | 20% | 3,450 ha |
| İzmir Province | 64,400 ha | 22% | 5,880 ha |
| Balıkesir | 47,900 ha | 11% | 5,680 ha |
| Canakkale | 45,200 ha | 14% | 4,150 ha |
| Manisa | 40,600 ha | 26% | 2,610 ha |
| Adana | 36,400 ha | 21% | 1,390 ha |
| Bursa Province | 34,200 ha | 9.1% | 5,310 ha |
| Istanbul | 33,100 ha | 16% | 9,570 ha |
| Kütahya | 25,600 ha | 9.1% | 2,000 ha |
| Mersin | 24,900 ha | 26% | 1,270 ha |
| Kastamonu | 24,700 ha | 3.6% | 2,560 ha |
| Aydın | 23,600 ha | 19% | 3,080 ha |
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnavutköy | 3,750 ha | 38% | 2,890 ha |
| Derince | 2,740 ha | 27% | 125 ha |
| Sancaktepe | 2,730 ha | 26% | 515 ha |
| İzmit | 2,500 ha | 33% | 326 ha |
| Bornova | 1,540 ha | 21% | 270 ha |
| Çanakkale | 1,300 ha | 27% | 205 ha |
| Düzce | 1,190 ha | 9.9% | 364 ha |
| Manisa | 1,150 ha | 15% | 101 ha |
| Başakşehir | 1,120 ha | 19% | 503 ha |
| Umraniye | 1,040 ha | 19% | 292 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Turkey
A satellite photo a year since 2017, with the forest lost marked on it, and the figures for each city.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Turkey
How much forest has Turkey lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Turkey has lost about 843,000 hectares of forest (about 8,400 km²): 8.4% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 88,400 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Turkey getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 59,700 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 35,900 hectares a year in 2016–2020. These are five-year averages from 2011 on, the years the satellite maps were all made the same way.
What is causing deforestation in Turkey?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (68%), wildfires (19%), mining and energy (4.4%). About 88,400 hectares was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
What was the worst year for forest loss in Turkey?
The worst year was 2021, when about 79,200 hectares of forest were lost.
How is forest loss measured?
We use satellite maps from the University of Maryland (Hansen and colleagues) that show, for every 30 × 30 m patch of land on Earth, the year its trees were cut down, burned or died, from 2001 to 2025. We add up those patches in Turkey, counting only places that were at least 30% covered by trees in 2000. The cause of each loss comes from a map made by the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind. All figures are estimates.