Ankara-Aksaray Salt Lake Promotion

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• Brief Introduction to Ankara Salt Lake :

Turkey is famous for its lakes. One of the most famous lakes in the Central Anatolia region is Lake Tuz . Lake Tuz is one of the most famous lakes in Turkey and attracts thousands of tourists to its region each year. Visitors to Lake Tuz often learn about and conduct research on its history and formation.

Lake Salt is one of Turkey's most famous lakes. In recent months, extensive research has been conducted on Lake Salt . Its characteristics and formation have become among the most frequently asked questions. So, where is Lake Salt in Aksaray province? What are the characteristics of Lake Salt ? How was Lake Salt formed? What is its history? Here are all the details about Lake Salt .

Lake Tuz (Salt Lake ) is a salt lake located in Turkey's Central Anatolia Region, at the intersection of the borders of Ankara, Konya, and Aksaray provinces. 40% of Turkey's salt needs are met by this lake. Salt in Lake Tuz is formed when meteorological waters percolate underground, dissolve previously formed salt domes, and carry them to the surface along tectonic lines.

Lake Tuz is located at the intersection of the borders of Ankara, Konya, and Aksaray provinces. Lake Tuz is generally closer to Aksaray, approximately an hour's drive from Aksaray, and approximately two hours' drive from Ankara.

Turkey's third-largest lake, Lake Tuz, is located in the Central Anatolia Region. One of the most sought-after lakes, Lake Tuz is located very close to the Şereflikoçhisar district of Ankara. The other shore of Lake Tuz is in the Cihanbeyli district, on the Ankara-Konya highway.

Lake Tuz is Turkey's third-largest, shallowest, and saltiest lake by surface area. Also known as Lake Koçhisar, it is located in the Central Anatolia Region, at the intersection of the borders of Ankara, Konya, and Aksaray provinces. Lake Tuz meets 55% of Turkey's salt needs. It stretches 80 km from north to south and 60 km from east to west.

Lake Tuz and its surroundings are home to hundreds of bird species, providing shelter, wintering, and breeding grounds, and are also notable for their endemic plants. Lake Tuz , with its abundance of birds living in the surrounding small lakes and marshes, is one of the richest basins in Turkey. This region lies on a migration route for wild birds, and the lack of any significant wetlands outside of Lake Tuz and its surroundings, located in the heart of the steppe, drives migratory birds to Lake Tuz . Due to its high salt content, the lake does not freeze over in winter, making it a good haven for migratory birds.

The Salt Lake basin is of great importance for the preservation of biodiversity in our country and is a Class A wetland according to international criteria. Salt Lake is one of the richest lakes in Turkey in terms of birdlife. The region is home to 85 bird species, 129 insect species, four of which are endemic, 15 mammal species, and 38 endemic plant species. The lake is also registered as a First Degree Natural Site.

Lake Tuz , Turkey's second-largest lake by surface area, lies at the deepest point of a vast tectonic depression nestled within the surrounding plateaus. This depression was formed by tectonic movements during the Neogene. The depression in which Lake Tuz lies is surrounded by faults to the east, west, and south. During the Quaternary, under less rainy climate conditions, the lake's surface area shrank. Over time, the lake shrank further, reaching its current state.

The formation of Lake Tuz is linked to tectonic events. Historically, Lake Tuz formed as a result of tectonic movements in this region. While no endemic species normally thrive in a salt-rich region, the opposite is true in Lake Tuz . This explains why the mystery of this lake continues to be explored, both historically and today. Lake Tuz , one of Turkey's richest basins, has historically been used for salt production.

Lake Tuz , Turkey's second-largest lake by surface area, lies at the deepest point of a vast tectonic depression nestled within the surrounding plateaus. This depression was formed by tectonic movements during the Neogene. The depression in which Lake Tuz lies is surrounded by faults to the east, west, and south. During the Quaternary, under less rainy climate conditions, the lake's surface area shrank. Over time, the lake shrank further, reaching its current state.

Because of its central geographical location, Salt Lake is easily accessible from both the east and west of Turkey. Salt Lake is accessible by air or road. By air, you can arrive in Ankara or Konya, and from there, you can directly use private vehicles or public transportation. With a private vehicle, you can reach Salt Lake via the Aksaray-Ankara highway. Travelers arriving from Konya should use the Konya-Ankara highway.

Due to the high salt concentration in the lake, aquatic plants are absent. A very weak halophytic flora is observed in a wide area around the lake, and sparse, salt-tolerant vegetation is observed in areas affected by the river.

Lake Tuz is one of Turkey's richest lakes in terms of bird life. The vast water it covers in winter provides an important wintering ground for waterfowl. In addition to flamingos, swordbills, ruddy shelducks, and similar birds adapted to salty environments, plovers, cranes, wild geese, and wild ducks live in large populations on the lake. Due to the relatively isolated lake area, the birds can easily feed in the surrounding puddles, pastures, and cultivated areas, and swim in the lake's unfrozen waters even on the coldest days of winter.

Another distinguishing feature of Lake Tuz and its surroundings, a resting, feeding, and wintering ground for birds, is its status as an important breeding ground. Flamingos, cranes, wild geese, avocets, ruddy shelducks, and similar birds, as well as plovers and wild ducks, live in groups in the lake. Prairie swallows, shelducks, ruddy shelducks, and gulls thrive in the surrounding small lakes, puddles, and marshes. Gene Bank of Drought-Tolerant Plants: Lake Tuz possesses a unique and important habitat in terms of biodiversity.

Many endemic, salt-loving, drought-tolerant plant species found nowhere else in the world are found around the lake, and numerous animal species also inhabit the area. A plant community adapted to the salt pan formed in the Salt Lake closed basin is also found here. Halophyte plants adapted to such areas are quite abundant in the Eskil and Eşmekaya salt pans.

Islands and marshes that form within the lake in spring provide breeding grounds for the common swift (Glareola prantincola), common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), teal (Anas crecca), swordbill (Recurvirostra avocetta), great cormorant (Burhinus oedicnemus), and gulls (Larus sp.). The region is home to salty steppes and ecologically sensitive plant communities comprised of endemic species. Lake Tuz , which forms an ecosystem integrity, and its closely related surrounding lakes (Lake Tersakan, Lake Düden, Lake Bolluk, Lake Eşmekaya, Lake Köpek, and Lake Akgöl) are habitats for numerous bird species, especially the flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), an endangered species in Europe. Salt Lake is the most important hatching area for flamingos in our country, and there are huge hatching colonies, each consisting of 5-6 thousand nests, in the middle parts of the lake.

The Salt Lake basin is a Class A wetland according to international criteria, of great importance for the conservation of biodiversity in our country. The most important economic activities in the region are agriculture and animal husbandry.

Covering an area of ​​11,900 km², Lake Tuz is a closed basin lake with no outflow. Despite its vast area, its recharge resources are poor. With an average annual rainfall of 324 mm/m², the region is one of the areas with the least rainfall in Turkey.

The streams that bring water to the lake are streams that either dwindle or dry up completely in the summer. These streams include the Peçenek Stream, which flows from Şereflikoçhisar, the Melendiz Stream, which flows from Aksaray, and the İnsuyu, Karasu, and Kırkdelik streams, which flow from the south and west. Furthermore, the DSİ drainage canal, which discharges excess water from Lake Beyşehir along with wastewater from Konya into Lake Tuz , also contributes to the rise in Lake Tuz 's water level.

The lake's average water level is around 40 cm, and in May, when rainfall increases, it reaches approximately 110 cm. The lake largely dries up in August. The high salt content causes 10–30 cm of salt deposits, renewed annually throughout much of the lake's surface due to evaporation. Towards the end of summer, it's possible to walk between the Kaldırım Salt Pan and the opposite shore. During this season, the salinity reaches a remarkable 329 parts per thousand. Its chemical composition is similar to that of common salt (sodium chloride), and the sodium chloride content is higher than that of magnesium chloride and sodium sulfate.

Salt accumulation in the lake is due to various factors. The presence of the Oligocene formation, which contains layers of gypsum and salt, played a significant role in the lake's salinization. However, saltwater has also been detected from sources at the lake's bottom. The lake's shallowness and the intense evaporation are other contributing factors to salt accumulation. In the summer, the salt deposits resulting from evaporation are excavated by machinery and collected in salt pans. These salt pans, known as Kaldırım, Kayacık, and Yavşan, were previously operated by Tekel and privatized in 2005.

In 2011, 10 salt pans were put up for sale by tender, eight of which found buyers. Salt factories, which wash and grind the salt extracted from Lake Tuz , form the backbone of Şereflikoçhisar's economy. Lake Tuz and its surrounding area were declared a specially protected area in 2001. Lake Tuz and its surrounding area are the primary breeding grounds for flamingo colonies known as Phoenicopterus rubber. It is also the second largest breeding ground for the Sakarca goose, known as Anser albifrons.

• It is located in the region with the least rainfall in Türkiye.
• It is a lake that meets Türkiye's salt needs.
• It takes its name from the fact that it is a lake with a high salt content.
• Salt Lake is a lake with no outflow. In other words, it can be described as a closed basin.
• According to international criteria, Salt Lake is a Class A wetland.
• 85 different bird species live around Salt Lake .
• Salt Lake is the second saltiest lake in the world.
• 38 endemic plant species grow around Salt Lake .
• The average depth of the lake is 40 centimeters.
• During the months when it rains, the average depth of Salt Lake is 1.5 meters.
• The surface area of ​​Salt Lake is 1620 square kilometers.

It is Turkey's second-largest lake and the world's second-largest salt lake . It is also known locally as Lake Koçhisar. The lake is located in the region of Turkey that receives the least rainfall.

Lake Tuz is an extremely rich area, both in terms of fauna and flora. While salty areas generally lack endemic species, Lake Tuz 's abundance of endemic species is striking. While there are approximately 38 endemic species around Lake Tuz , approximately 20 of these are found only in Lake Tuz and the surrounding Eskil and Eşmekaya. Lake Tuz, with its endemic plant species, hundreds of bird species, and the reddish glow of sunset, offers significant photo safari potential. A photo safari starting from Eskil allows you to photograph endemic plants, along with the marshes, small ponds, and birdlife within Lake Tuz . At sunset, the backlighting created by the reddish glow of Lake Tuz hitting the lake surface offers unforgettable images for photography enthusiasts.

In winter, the vast area covered by Lake Tuz provides ideal habitat for waterfowl. The mud islands to the south of the lake support one of the largest natural flamingo breeding colonies in the world. An aerial count in 1992 determined that the colony contained 14,000 pairs of flamingos. In the central part of the lake, there are large brood colonies, each containing 5,000 to 6,000 nests. The Doğa Derneği has been conducting aerial censuses to monitor the flamingo population since 2003.

The Lake Van gull, slender-billed gull, and birds of prey breed on the rocky islands to the north. Lesser kestrel is a common breeding species in the villages surrounding the lake. Swordbill and greater plover also incubate. It is also the second largest breeding center for the white-fronted goose.

Thousands of cranes spend the night in the autumn, and numerous geese spend the winter. Lake Tuz is the most important habitat in Central Anatolia for the globally endangered great bustard. It also hosts the only breeding population of the common snipe in Turkey.

Because the lake's surroundings are relatively isolated, birds can easily feed in the surrounding puddles, pastures, and cultivated areas, and they can swim in the lake's unfrozen waters even on the coldest days of winter. Islands and marshes that form within the lake in spring provide breeding grounds for the common swift (Glareola prantincola), common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), common teal (Anas crecca), common sablebill (Recurvirostra avocetta), great cormorant (Burhinus oedicnemus), and gulls (Larus sp.).

The region contains salt-bearing steppes and ecologically sensitive plant communities comprised of endemic species. Lake Tuz is one of the finest examples of undisturbed, lowland steppes in our country.

Light salt marshes have formed where canals and streams enter the lake. Lush reed beds are found along the Konya drainage channel and where it reaches the lake. Only partially irrigated grain fields lie to the north, west, and east of the lake, while extensive salt-bearing steppes, particularly in the southwest, flood during rainy seasons.

Native steppe plants, adapted to the harsh conditions of salt and drought, are among the rarest species in Lake Tuz . The area is the most important area in Turkey for steppe plants.

The salt lake's waters have a salinity of 32%. The lake floor is covered with a salt layer 1-30 cm thick. This has led to the development of a salt industry that accounts for 55% of Turkey's total salt production. Three salt mines, located on a 12 km² area, produce an average of 750,000 tons of salt annually. A research project conducted by Wageningen University has determined that the Salt Lake 's contribution to the Turkish economy is $5 million.

The salt layer deposited by evaporation in the summer is excavated by machinery and collected in salt pans. These salt pans, known as Kaldırım, Kayacık, and Yavşan salt pans, were previously operated by Tekel and privatized in 2005. The salt factories, which wash and grind the salt obtained from Salt Lake , form the backbone of Şereflikoçhisar's economy. The goal is to expand the salt pans (triple their current size) and increase salt production to three million tons per year. Alkim sodium sulfate facilities are also located in the area.

Irrigated and dryland farming, primarily sugar beet, is practiced in the area. Small livestock farming is an important source of income for the region.

Salt production in Salt Lake is carried out by evaporation, which is based on the principle of crystallizing the salt by evaporating the lake water under sunlight. A pooling system is used in solar-powered salt production.

There are three salt pans in Salt Lake operated by the General Directorate of Tekel. The Kaldırım, Kayacık, and Yavşan Salt Pans, previously operated by the General Directorate of Tekel, were privatized under the name Koyuncu Kaldırım Salt Enterprise by decision of the Prime Ministry Privatization Administration of the Republic of Turkey.

The Salt Lake Special Environmental Protection Area is administratively within the borders of Ankara, Konya, and Aksaray provinces. Salt Lake is located in the Central Anatolia Region, in the northeasternmost part of a basin surrounded by the Kızılırmak Massif to the east, the Obruk to the south, the Cihanbeyli plateau to the west, and the Haymana plateau to the north. It is Turkey's second-largest lake after Lake Van. Located in a closed basin, Salt Lake is geologically of tectonic origin. Despite its size, it is one of the shallowest lakes in Turkey. Its depth is less than 0.5 meters in many places. During the spring months, when water is plentiful, the lake's area reaches 164,200 hectares. With no outflow, the lake has an elevation of 905 m above sea level.

Because it receives the least rainfall in Türkiye, it is very poor in terms of rivers. Important rivers include the Peçenek Stream, which flows through Şereflikoçhisar in the east, the DSİ Konya drainage canal in the southwest, the İnsuyu from Cihanbeyli in the west, and the Uluırmak from Aksaray in the southeast.

However, some of this water dries up in the summer, preventing it from reaching the lake, and due to excessive evaporation, almost all of the lake dries up. In these dry areas, a salt layer of up to 30 cm thick forms. Salt Lake is one of the saltiest lakes not only in Turkey but also in the world, with a density of 1-22.5 cm3/g and a salt content of 32.4%.

Salt Lake is a gene bank, particularly for species resistant to salt and drought. In other words, Salt Lake is a genetic reserve. These species, which include salt- and drought-tolerant strains, are an invaluable genetic resource in our rapidly arid and barren world. If global warming poses a challenge to plant cultivation in the future, genes from endemic plants growing in the Salt Lake Basin could be transferred to fruits and vegetables to address the gap.

Ankara Salt Lake Address: Acıkuyu Şereflikoçhisar/Ankara

Ankara Salt Lake Map: Salt Lake (You can find out the distance to your location and get directions by clicking the link.)

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