The Foundation for the Promotion and Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ÇEKÜL) strives to foster and build a nation-wide awareness and social network for the preservation and protection of Turkey’s environmental resources and cultural heritage. Founded in 1990 by 25 professors and experts from various academic and cultural fields, ÇEKÜL has become one of the largest non-governmental organizations of Turkey with 100 representatives throughout the country along with nearly 650,000 participants involved in various projects and an advisory board of 700 specialists.
OUR PRINCIPLE
ÇEKÜL believes that nature and culture are fundamentally interrelated with all aspects of a human being’s existence and identity. Nature sets the conditions of all existence while shaping and being shaped by culture. It is significant to protect our environment and cultural heritage which enables us to connect our past to our future. Thus, it is of vital importance today to preserve it in a sustainable environment for future generations.
OUR VISION
To create a national agenda prioratizing the issues of ‘culture’ and ‘nature’ and ensure that values of ‘culture’ and ‘nature’ are enshrined in the national constitution.
OUR MISSION
• To enrich the civil society and social networks about environmental and cultural issues through a multi-dimensional participatory model which brings all of the "public-local-civil-private" elements into collaboration.
• To promote and increase environmental and cultural awareness to encourage mass participation leading to social actions.
• To ensure the continuity of our historical legacy through visible renovation and restoration studies.
• To formulate and implement projects at ‘street-city-basin-region-country’ levels through relevant educational, promotional and community organizing objectives with the participation of all related stakeholders.
ÇEKÜL conducts educational, community organizing, and promotional activities for environmental and cultural protection. We formulate specific programs and projects on afforestration, sustainable rural development, and the protection of biodiversity and cultural heritage. Each of these projects involves educational, promotional, and community organizing objectives alongside main project goals.
