Project Name: Turkey's Butterflies

Date: January 2009-June 2011

Place: Throughout Turkey

Role Of DKM: Project implementation

Communication: Dr. Özge Balkız

Summary Of Project:

Turkey lies at a major continental and zoological crossroads which gives rise to an extraordinarily rich flora and fauna. This includes significantly more species of butterfly than any country in Europe – around 380 – with at least 45 of them endemic. National awareness of Turkey’s importance for butterflies is low with no agreed prioritised list of threatened species.

The project aimed to raise awareness of the importance of Turkey for butterflies.

The project established DKM as the national representative of Butterfly Conservation Europe (BCE) and the technical hub for butterfly conservation in Turkey.  Priority surveys, monitoring and conservation action were conducted at selected Prime Butterfly Areas.  Government bodies were supported to improve implementation of conservation action for butterflies in protected areas and the wider countryside.

Objectives:

• lead butterfly conservation work in Turkey.
• establish a basis for active conservation of Turkey’s butterflies.

• existing Turkish butterfly data digitised and made available for conservation studies, and the sharing of new records facilitated.
• IUCN approved Red List of Turkey’s butterflies, a candidate list of Turkey’s Prime Butterfly Areas (PBAs) and a national Butterfly Conservation Strategy researched, published and disseminated in consultation with experts and stakeholders.