04.06.2026 09:30
Antalya, the tourism capital preparing to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), is pioneering a first in Turkey against environmental pollution. Starting tomorrow, smoking will be completely banned on Lara, Belek, Çamyuva, and Beach Park beaches.
Under the leadership of Antalya Governorship, a historic step has been taken within the scope of the "Blue Mediterranean Initiative" to protect the marine ecosystem and eliminate cigarette butt pollution. The city, counting down to COP31, one of the world's most important climate summits, has declared its four world-famous beaches as smoke-free zones, aiming especially to protect children from passive smoking and to give the shores a breath of fresh air.
CIGARETTE BUTTS WILL BE KEPT AWAY FROM BLUE WATERS
The implementation will come into effect as of tomorrow in Antalya's busiest coastal strips, Lara, Belek, Çamyuva, and Beach Park. With this new regulation, cigarette butts that accumulate on the beaches and mix with the waves, causing severe damage to natural life, will be completely removed from the marine ecosystem. Families and children will be able to vacation in a clean environment.
TURKIYE'S "2040 SMOKE-FREE COUNTRY" GOAL
This environmental step taken in Antalya also serves as the first signal of a much broader tobacco control plan being worked on by the Ministry of Health. The prepared draft law, which is in its final stage, plans to expand the smoke-free air zone to all social areas in Turkiye. The most striking target of the draft is to completely end the sale of tobacco products within the country's borders as of January 1, 2040.
Until this ultimate goal is achieved, the new rules that will significantly reduce tobacco use are planned as follows:
- Children's parks, places of worship, educational institutions, sports facilities, and beaches will be red lines where smoking is "absolutely prohibited."
- For those who want to smoke on the beaches, special "smoking cabins" will be set up at intervals of at least 200 meters.
- Smoke-free zone boundaries in hospital and university campuses will be expanded; use will only be allowed in special areas at least 20 meters away from buildings.
SIMILAR TREND GROWING ON EUROPEAN BEACHES
This clean-up movement initiated by Turkiye on beaches directly aligns with a growing global environmental trend. Today, France is rapidly expanding the scope of the ban along its coastline; while in Spain, Italy, and Belgium, local governments have already converted hundreds of beaches to smoke-free status. Australia, meanwhile, has been implementing smoke-free beach rules uncompromisingly and successfully for many years, especially in coastal areas where children are present.