Türkiye

From policy assessment to local action

Türkiye has now completed the legal and policy assessment phase of the project and has moved into direct engagement with local stakeholders. Following detailed legislative mapping and the preparation of a national reform roadmap, project experts carried out consultations and field visits in Sakarya and Trabzon, meeting with municipalities and technical authorities to better understand local pollution challenges and identify priority infrastructure investments.

National Consultations

Sakarya Field Visit

The Sakarya consultation marked an important step in translating the national assessment into local priorities. Local authorities and technical stakeholders reviewed existing wastewater infrastructure, discussed pollution pressures and contributed information needed to identify potential investment opportunities.

The findings from Sakarya are being incorporated into Türkiye’s wider policy and investment recommendations, helping ensure that proposed measures reflect both national priorities and the practical needs of local authorities. The Sakarya consultation and field visit report have now been completed.

Trabzon Field Visit

The second Türkiye field visit took place in Trabzon on 27–28 July 2026, bringing together representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Trabzon Water and Sewerage Administration (TİSKİ), İlbank, the Trabzon Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, DSİ 22nd Regional Directorate and BBSEA experts.

During technical discussions with TİSKİ, participants reviewed the approach for identifying priority wastewater pollution hotspots and confirmed sites for further assessment in Yomra, Ortahisar and Akçaabat. Field inspections then provided an opportunity to examine existing treatment and discharge arrangements, infrastructure conditions and capacity constraints directly on site. The observations collected will feed into the identification and prioritisation of potential wastewater investments for Trabzon.

The mission also included a meeting with Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç, who highlighted wastewater investment as an important priority for the province. TİSKİ also expressed interest in participating in BBSEA’s upcoming regional workshop and presenting its investment needs directly to financing institutions, where relevant.

What comes next

The findings from Sakarya and Trabzon will now contribute to Türkiye’s national policy and investment package. The next phase will focus on consolidating the evidence gathered through the legal assessment and local consultations and developing recommendations for priority wastewater investments that can support pollution reduction in the Black Sea.