Following the announcement of the 2026 Blue Flag awards by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the National Blue Flag Award Ceremony was held at the Yenifoça Oasis Marina in Foça, İzmir.
At the ceremony, beaches, marinas, tourist boats, and private yachts that were deemed worthy of the Blue Flag award in 2026 were honored, once again highlighting Türkiye's strong position in international rankings.
This year, Türkiye received Blue Flags for 580 beaches, 30 marinas, 18 tourist boats, and 26 private yachts. Thus, Türkiye maintained its position as the third country in the world with the most Blue Flag beaches in the beach category.
The ceremony was attended by the Governor of İzmir, Süleyman Elban; the Chairman of the Board of Directors of TÜRÇEV and former Minister of Tourism, Assoc. Prof. Dr. The ceremony was attended by Abdulkadir Ateş, Foça District Governor İhsan Emre Aydın, Foça Mayor Saniye Bora Fıçı, Fethiye Mayor Alim Karaca, Didim Mayor Hatice Gençay, as well as representatives from National Blue Flag Jury, public institutions, local governments, the tourism sector, and members of the press.
During the ceremony, Blue Flag Awards of 2026 were announced, and the Blue Flag was raised, representing award-winning beaches, marinas, tourist boats, and individual yachts across Türkiye. The program opened with a mini concert by pupils from Yeni Foça Kindergarten, an Eco-Schools participant school, who performed environmental-themed songs, adding a meaningful educational dimension to the event. Simultaneously, the International Green Key Flag was raised at Oasis Marina for seven award-winning individual yachts and at Oasis Houses Hotel.
With this development, for the first time in Turkiye, both a marina and 7 individual yachts affiliated with the marina received the International Blue Flag Award, while the accommodation unit within the same facility was also awarded the International Green Key Award.
Speaking at the ceremony, TÜRÇEV Board Chairman and former Minister of Tourism Assoc. Dr. Abdulkadir Ateş emphasized the importance of sustainable tourism and environmental protection, stating that Turkiye's success in the Blue Flag field is the result of years of determined efforts. Ateş stated in his speech, “It is difficult to obtain the Blue Flag, but very easy to lose it. This success can only be sustained through continuous work, prioritizing environmental awareness and education.”
As part of the program, municipalities, hotels, tourism associations, marinas, and individual yacht owners who have implemented exemplary practices in environmental education and awareness activities were also presented with “Best Environmental Education and Awareness Activities Awards.”
In the international evaluation organized by the International Foundation for Environmental Education, Fethiye Municipality was selected as third among the best practices among candidates from 54 countries. The certificate of achievement was presented to Fethiye Mayor Alim Karaca during the ceremony.
The Blue Flag Program, coordinated by TÜRÇEV since 1993, continues to contribute to Turkiye's sustainable tourism goals by taking into account criteria such as swimming water quality, environmental management, safety, accessibility, and environmental education.