Turkey center gives 3 injured turtles new lease on life

ANTALYA, Turkey

Three loggerhead turtles, known also as caretta caretta, were released back into the sea off Turkey’s Mediterranean cost province of Antalya Thursday after they received treatment for their serious injuries, according to a Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs official.

The turtles had been under treatment for months at The Sea Turtle Rescue Center (DEKAMER), which was established in 2009 in Dalyan, Mugla, Turkey’s western coast.

Adnan Yilmazturk, Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs National Parks 6th District director, said one of the turtles had suffered life-threatening injuries, when it was struck by a boat propeller. Another turtle had been found wounded with blunt-force injuries to the head one-and-a-half years ago in Turkey's southern resort city of Antalya. Also, eight months back, another sea turtle was found with breathing difficulties in Olympos beach in Antalya.

The injured sea turtles were taken to DEKAMER, a sea turtle rehabilitation center at Dalyan-Iztuzu Beach, which is also one of the most important loggerhead sea turtle nesting habitats in Turkey.

The turtles were released at Antalya’s Cirali beach, where many tourists come to witness caretta caretta eggs hatch.

Yilmazturk said the recovery process took a very long time, but eventually the turtles made it back to the sea after receiving the care they needed.

Loggerhead sea turtles are classified as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Turkey has taken measures in Cirali and Olympos to provide a safe environment to caretta carettas to lay their eggs.