10.09.2025 09:50
According to the latest drought map from the General Directorate of Meteorology for the past 12 months, a large part of Turkey is experiencing severe and extraordinary drought. While Central Anatolia, the inner parts of the Aegean region, and Southeastern Anatolia are on alert, only the Eastern Black Sea region and Northeastern Anatolia recorded humid and normal values.
The latest drought map published by the General Directorate of Meteorology (MGM) reveals that severe and extraordinary drought is affecting a large part of Turkey. Particularly, Central Anatolia, the inner parts of the Aegean, and Southeastern Anatolia are raising alarms.
DROUGHT MAP CAUSES CONCERN
According to MGM's 12-month drought map covering the period from August 2024 to July 2025, a large part of Turkey falls into the "severe" and "extraordinary drought" categories. Only the Eastern Black Sea and Northeastern Anatolia regions were observed to have normal and humid levels of precipitation.
CENTRAL ANATOLIA RAISES ALARM
According to the map, almost all of Central Anatolia is facing extraordinary drought. The majority of Konya, Aksaray, Niğde, Nevşehir, and Kayseri, as well as the areas around Yozgat, Kırıkkale, and Ankara, are at the highest drought levels.
CRITICAL SITUATION IN THE INNER PARTS OF THE AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN
Manisa, Uşak, Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya, and the surrounding areas of Denizli are among the driest provinces in the Aegean. In the inner parts of the Mediterranean, Isparta, Burdur, and the northeastern part of Antalya are also regions where drought is felt most intensely.
SOUTHEAST ANATOLIA'S SITUATION IS EVEN MORE SEVERE
In the areas around Şanlıurfa, Mardin, and Diyarbakır, "very severe drought" prevails. The regions of Hakkari and Şırnak fall into the "extremely dry" category. The areas around Malatya and Elazığ are classified as having moderate drought levels.
BLACK SEA AND NORTHEAST ARE RELATIVELY BETTER
In the Eastern Black Sea, Rize, Trabzon, Artvin, as well as the areas around Erzurum and Kars, are in the normal and humid categories due to high precipitation levels. In the Western Black Sea, slightly humid values were also observed in the areas around Zonguldak, Bartın, and Sinop.
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DROUGHT IN MARMARA
While the Thrace and Edirne regions are experiencing extreme drought, Istanbul and its surroundings are between moderate and severe drought. In Southern Marmara, drought has intensified in Balıkesir and Çanakkale.
CONCLUSION: A LARGE MAJORITY OF TURKEY IS UNDER DROUGHT PRESSURE
The MGM report reveals that a significant part of Turkey is facing a serious drought threat. According to experts, especially in the Central, Southeastern, and Western regions, the risk to water resources and agricultural production is growing increasingly.