Science center to be opened near Lake Salda

ISTANBUL

The Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry has decided to establish a science center near Lake Salda, known as Turkey’s Maldives, due to its crystal clear water in the southern province of Burdur, an expert has said.

“All the preparations are ongoing to open the center as soon as possible,” Bahar İnce, the deputy director of Boğaziçi University’s Ecological Sciences Institute, said on March 30.

The lake attracts the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for being similar to the Jezero Crater on Mars. The university took part in international research on the microbiological ecosystem of the lake between June and December 2021. The results of the research will be used by NASA in its works on Mars.

Saying that the center near Lake Salda will open its doors to all international scientists, İnce said: “The center will also be a platform for young Turkish researchers.”

Over 1.5 million people visited Lake Salda in 2019. The number decreased to some 800,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. To protect the lake’s natural habitat, Turkey took some measures in March 2021 to reduce the number of visitors to 570,000 annually.