On Nov. 11, Türkiye will once again celebrate National Forestation Day under the slogan "Breath for Humanity." This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is leveraging the day not only to promote environmental restoration but also to highlight humanitarian crises in the Middle East, particularly focusing on the recent human rights issues associated with Israel’s attacks in Gaza. With this effort, the ministry aims to bring the total number of saplings planted in Türkiye to an impressive 500 million by the end of 2024.

National Forestation Day was established on Nov. 6, 2019, when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan officially designated Nov. 11 as a day for widespread tree-planting initiatives across Türkiye. Each year since then, the Ministry has coordinated events on this day to expand Türkiye’s forest cover, protect biodiversity, enhance the ecological balance between soil, water, and vegetation and foster erosion control. Held with participation from both public institutions and private citizens, these planting events unfold simultaneously in all provinces, making it a truly national endeavor.

Türkiye’s General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) has achieved global recognition with several remarkable records set on National Forestation Day. In Çorum, 303,150 saplings were planted within a single hour by 3,000 volunteers on a 150-hectare site, earning a Guinness World Record for the "Most saplings planted in one hour at a single location."

Another record was set in 2020 in Ankara’s Çubuk district, where 452,023 saplings were planted, creating the "World’s largest forest pattern," a feat also recognized by the Guinness World Records.

In 2021, National Forestation Day embraced the theme "Breath for the World," expanding the event’s reach internationally. Foreign participants joined in, marking the first time Türkiye’s tree-planting initiative gained global attention.

In 2022, the event took on the slogan "Breath for the Century of Türkiye," underscoring the country’s vision for growth and development over the next 100 years. The Ministry used this occasion to highlight how the forestry sector aligns with Türkiye’s future goals, a theme that resonated throughout the planting activities.

Today in Ankara, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumaklı attended the "Breath for the Future, Breath for Humanity" event, which also marked the creation of the "Gaza Memorial Forest" at the Behiçbey Nursery. The event brought together key figures including the Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, the President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş and the Ambassador of Palestine to Ankara, Faed Mustafa. Yumaklı highlighted Türkiye’s remarkable efforts in increasing its forest cover, stating that over 7 billion seeds and saplings have been planted over the past 22 years, expanding the country’s forested areas to 24.3 million hectares.

Yumaklı also addressed the country’s progress in reducing soil erosion, which has been cut by approximately 4.5 times, and the importance of forests in contributing to the economy through nature tourism and ecotourism. He emphasized that the real success in forest fire management lies in preventing them altogether. The event concluded with the planting of around 8,000 saplings, with Yumaklı, along with other officials, participating in the symbolic tree planting and watering ceremony.

34.7 million saplings

As part of the centennial celebrations for the Republic in 2023, citizens planted 5,023,000 saplings across Türkiye’s 81 provinces under the motto "Breath for the Future, Breath for the Republic." These saplings contributed to the creation of "Republic Forests," with trees planted at 2,023 locations nationwide.

Since 2019, a total of 34,704,000 saplings have been planted as part of the National Forestation Day events alone, the Ministry's ultimate target for 2024 is to plant 500 million saplings nationwide.

This year’s slogan, "Breath for Humanity," seeks to draw attention to the suffering in Gaza and other conflict-ridden areas of the Middle East. A "Breath for the Future, Breath for Humanity Gaza Memorial Forest" will be established in Ankara as a living reminder of these tragedies.

The Ministry has called upon people across Türkiye, from ages 7 to 70, to participate in tree-planting events, which will be held at 690 locations across 81 provinces.

Erdoğan’s vision for greener Türkiye

In a video message, President Erdoğan underscored the government’s dedication to environmental stewardship, stating, "We are working with all our strength to make Türkiye a lush, emerald green country and to leave a better Türkiye in every sense for future generations."

He emphasized that Türkiye’s forests are not merely a legacy from the past but a vital trust to be handed to future generations, Erdoğan added that he hopes National Forestation Day will bring blessings to Türkiye, the Turkish people and the environment.

"We belong to a civilization that says, ‘Plant the sapling in your hand even if you know doomsday is coming,’" he noted. "To spread this understanding, especially among young people, we declared each Nov. 11 as National Forestation Day." Erdoğan highlighted that, under the Justice and Development Party’s governance over the last 23 years, revolutionary measures have been implemented to conserve and expand forests, alongside advancements in other sectors.

With the "Breath for the Future" campaign, Türkiye has successfully planted over 7 billion saplings, increasing forest coverage by 12%, now totaling 23.4 million hectares. This achievement has placed Türkiye as the leading country in Europe and fourth worldwide in forestation efforts.

Erdoğan recalled the establishment of Republic Forests across all 81 provinces in 2023 to celebrate the Republic’s 100th anniversary. This year’s theme, "Breath for the Future, Breath for Humanity," highlights the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and other oppressed regions around the world.

"The saplings we plant today will symbolize hope against all forms of oppression, genocide and inhumane treatment," he remarked, adding that these saplings will honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in Gaza and other regions facing turmoil.

Erdoğan extended a personal invitation to all citizens who wish to contribute to the "Breath for Humanity" cause to participate in the sapling-planting events across Türkiye. "I thank everyone in advance who will participate in the event. I celebrate National Forestation Day with these thoughts," he said, commending the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the General Directorate of Forestry, civil society organizations and volunteer citizens for their relentless work to protect and expand Türkiye’s "green homeland" and for their dedicated efforts against forest fires.

Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdoğan also shared her hopes for a sustainable future in a social media post, stating, "On National Forestation Day on Nov. 11, I sincerely wish to leave our children a greener tomorrow and build a future in harmony with nature."

Emine Erdoğan expressed her heartfelt wish that every sapling planted would be a "gift of blossoming life" to future generations, rather than simply a legacy, she encouraged citizens to come together to ensure a greener Türkiye, proclaiming, "May the earth meet with saplings, and may the future flourish with a greener Türkiye."