Within the context of the 22nd Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (COP 22) organized in the Belek tourism site in Belek district of the Antalya province, caretta caretta turtles were released back to the sea. Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum as well as foreign guests were present at the occasion.

 

Minister Özer during his statement to the press said that his Ministry will open a new library in Serik as a part of "No More Schools without Libraries Project" and thanked Minister Kurum who gave the good news that Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change will donate 250 thousand books about environment awareness to the libraries.

 

Stating that the COP22 Conference is a very important initiative, Özer said, "The Ministry of National Education will design an important project in cooperation with Minister Kurum in order to include environment awareness and climate change to the school program. I hope that we will make a statement to the public about this project in the following weeks. I believe that COP will initiate a transformation about climate change and environment awareness among other 21 participant countries."

 

Following the speeches 28-32 years old two sea turtles which were injured after being trapped in fishing nets were treated and released back to the sea after experts placed tracking devices on them.