ANKARA President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to continue protecting Türkiye 's forests , describing them as a vital "green homeland" and a matter of national security. "We have taken historic steps in the protection of the environment and nature. We have worked hard to protect nature and hand it over to our children in the most beautiful way," Erdoğan said an event in Ankara on June 2. He said Türkiye's forests now cover 23.4 million hectares, around 30 percent of the country’s land area. "