Every country has a number of organizations, foundations and charities that aim to raise public awareness about and take action to preserve nature. Turkey also has many of such organizations, however, there is one foundation that is known the most. It is called TEMA (Turkey Fighting against Erosion, Afforestation and Conserving Natural Beings Foundation). This foundation was founded by Hayrettin Karaca, an environmentalist, and Nihat Gökyiğit, a business man, in 1992.

TEMA had gone through some changes in its aims and principles through time. It was first founded to help areas that suffered from erosion and to prevent desertification, in other words to do afforestation. Right now, the foundation?s goals include not only things related to soil like afforestation but also other issues such as issues concerning the decrease in diversity. For instance, TEMA had a project that lasted 5 years and in this project they attempted to stop the decrease of biodiversity in a forest located in the city of Artvin which is in southeastern part of Turkey. During this project, TEMA informed the citizens of towns who were living near to the forest about how and why they should take care of the forest. TEMA changed the dates of the hunting season. While doing all this, they even discovered a new species of a plant which later turned out to be an endemic species. The total cost of the project was 4,178,000 Turkish Liras.  

Despite the changes, this foundation?s first priority is still to prompt afforestation. For this cause TEMA had already planted 4,111,000 trees 14 years after it was founded. Perhaps the best example to explain TEMA?s interest on soil related issues is the Oak Project that has been going on since 1992 to this very day.(give some explanation) It is estimated that TEMA, with the help of other organizations such as Nature Ministry of Turkey, spent 1.8 billion dollars for this project only. Just imagine the total count if you add the other projects.

Aside from their dedication to conserve the natural life, the reason I have written this article is not just to do advertising, but to introduce a foundation widespread in Turkey. If any of the individuals that are in this Eco-Generation Platform someday decides to start an environmental project here in Turkey and wishes to get support or co-operate with other foundations, TEMA should be your first stop. I am used to be a member of TEMA and participated in two events of the foundation to plant trees. As such, it is my belief that TEMA is a foundation to be recognized that does a lot of contribution to conserving the natural life in Turkey.