25.11.2025 18:00
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın donned diving gear to see the progress of Europe's largest environmental project and descended into the depths of the Izmit Bay. Observing catfish and sea anemones on the once mud-covered floor, Büyükakın stated, "We will soon start seeing very different things here."
The ecological rehabilitation project, described as "Europe's largest environmental transformation project," conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, has started to yield visible results. The project aims to clean approximately 3.8 million cubic meters of the 11 million tons of mud accumulated on the seabed, with 190 hectares of land already cleared of sludge to date. Additionally, the project, launched in 2023 under the slogan "Resurrection from the Depths," aims to transform the Izmit Bay into a giant aquarium.
DIVING IN IZMIT BAY
Kocaeli Metropolitan Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, Dean of the Faculty of Maritime Studies at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sarı, producer and diver Savaş Karakaş, and world record-holding free diver Devrim Cenk Ulusoy dove into Izmit Bay to inspect the works on-site and observe the changes in marine life.
"A PROJECT WORTH APPROXIMATELY 150 MILLION DOLLARS"
In a statement before the dive, Mayor Büyükakın noted that one of Turkey's and the world's most important rehabilitation projects is being carried out in Kocaeli. Reminding that the project is conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Büyükakın said, "Previously, there were studies conducted by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality in collaboration with TÜBİTAK. It was determined that there are 11 million tons of mud here, and approximately 8 million tons, or 3.8 million cubic meters, needed to be removed from the marine environment. Subsequently, studies were conducted on how to remove the mud. Inspired by the application in LOGAN, the project being carried out here today was developed. This is a project with a budget of approximately 150 million dollars," he stated.
"A TOTAL OF 460 HECTARES OF LAND IS TARGETED TO BE CLEANED"
Büyükakın stated that the goal is to clean a total of 460 hectares of land and added: "So far, cleaning has been done in an area of 190 hectares. We continue to observe the results obtained in the cleaned areas. Friends have started to observe that both the biodiversity is renewing itself and there are increases in the fish population compared to other regions of the sea. There are different species."
"WE ARE PREVENTING 170 THOUSAND CUBIC METERS OF MUD FROM REACHING THE SEA"
Additionally, Mayor Büyükakın mentioned that works are being carried out with 23 advanced biological treatment plants, stating, "We are preventing approximately 170 thousand cubic meters of mud from reaching the sea each year, but on the other hand, we are also cleaning the mud that has accumulated in the sea for years. This is a very valuable work in terms of rehabilitating the marine ecosystem and is considered one of the few similar projects in the world. We are making great efforts to make the world a more livable place. We actually borrowed this legacy not from our elders, but from our children. We will do our best to pass this legacy on to them in a worthy manner," he expressed.
"THIS IS A CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF ABOUT 50 YEARS"
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sarı pointed out that the pollution at the bottom is a cumulative effect of approximately 50 years, stating, "The removal of these accumulated unnatural wastes will greatly benefit the Sea of Marmara. The Sea of Marmara is an ecosystem that contributes to the balance of both the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Aegean. When you pollute Marmara, you are, in a sense, polluting the Black Sea, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean as well. Moreover, all the shores of the Sea of Marmara are within the borders of our country. Everything in Marmara is our honor," he said.
"WE NEVER THOUGHT OF DIVING IN IZMIT BAY"
Diver Savaş Karakaş stated that Izmit Bay was seen as "a deadly swamp" for divers in the past, saying, "I have dived in the seven seas of the world and all over Turkey, but we never thought of diving in Izmit Bay. Because for us, this place was almost a deadly area. You can imagine that this was not a sea, but like a swamp. No diver wants to dive into a swamp, but today we are breaking free from a bad habit that has lasted for about 50 or even 100 years," he said.
"THE INCREASE IN LIVING BEINGS SHOWS THAT LIFE HAS STARTED AGAIN"
After the dive, Tahir Büyükakın shared his underwater observations, emphasizing that the change could be seen with the naked eye. He explained that in areas where life was previously impossible due to sludge, marine creatures have now started to nest. "We see that sea anemones and similar species are widely occupying the seabed. Their attachment to the seabed indicates that life has started again there. The presence of these species is very important. Certain shelled species have started to emerge. There are species known as sea cucumbers or sea urchins, and there are crabs.
First, crustaceans are coming, followed by other species that feed on these crustaceans. For example, the arrival of the flounder is an important indicator that crustacean species have started to live there. Because the flounder comes to feed on these creatures.
"WE WILL START TO SEE MUCH MORE DIFFERENT THINGS HERE"
Metropolitan Mayor Tahir Büyükakın concluded his remarks as follows: "There were also anemones. These are one of the most important indicators of marine life. We are talking about an area where the mud reaches up to 3 meters in places. That mud was cleaned, and the sand at the bottom of the sea met with oxygen. Previously, it was impossible for any species to hold on here due to the layer of sludge covering the surface. Now, species that can hold on to the sandy bottom have started to take root again. Gradually, other species will come to feed, lay their eggs, and soon we will start to see much more different things here. We expect both an increase in species diversity and a rise in populations. Hopefully, beautiful things have started to happen, and the process will continue rapidly."