Geben Valley declared Türkiye’s 50th national park

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

Geben Valley, covering the districts of Onikişubat, Göksun and Andırın in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, has been launched officially as Türkiye’s 50th national park.

The announcement, published in the Official Gazette on May 30, covers approximately 20,000 hectares of land and is expected to contribute significantly to both environmental preservation and ecotourism.

Faruk Tülücü, head of the Kahramanmaraş branch of the Nature Conservation and National Parks Directorate, said turning the area into a national park would help promote the region’s cultural and natural heritage.

Geben Valley is home to landmarks such as the Meryemçil Castle along the ancient Roman Akyol route and a historic Türkmen migration path. Tülücü also highlighted the valley’s rich biodiversity, including endemic flora and geological features such as Mount Kayranlı, often praised in the poems of well-known Turkish folk poet Karacaoğlan.

Tülücü noted that work to launch Geben Valley as a national park began in 2019, with studies carried out to document its ecological value.

He described the area as a biodiversity hotspot located on the Anatolian Diagonal — a key biogeographical corridor — and home to species such as bears, striped hyenas, lynxes, wolves and wild goats, along with rodents, reptiles and migratory birds such as the ruddy shelduck.

Other key features include rock tombs, a 272-meter-long cave in Söğüt Plain, untouched beech forests, and old-growth black pine, cedar and fir woodlands, as well as the Kırksu region known for its striking natural beauty.

“This newly declared national park will help position Kahramanmaraş as a notable destination for international nature tourism,” Tülücü added.

Local community welcomes the decision

Mustafa Yıldız, founder of the Kahramanmaraş Outdoor Sports Group, welcomed the decision as a milestone for rural tourism in the region. “We visit the area twice a year. It offers a completely different beauty in spring and autumn, with stunning colors. People need to see this place,” he said.

Yıldız emphasized the region’s rich array of endemic plant species, wildlife, streams and highland plateaus, saying that works are underway to draw more visitors from urban areas to natural destinations like Geben.

Nature enthusiast Alper Şişman noted that the area is ideal for hiking, trekking, camping and photography, while another visitor, Nimet Çokbüyük, called the decision a welcome development for one of the city’s many natural wonders.