We are deeply saddened by the loss of Tansu Gürpınar (1939 – 2023), one of the founders of nature conservation in Turkey.
Tansu Gürpınar, with his tireless fight for the protection of the environment, passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy of passion, commitment and unwavering dedication to the protection of the earth.
Born in 1939 in Van, Tansu Gürpınar, a botanist, zoologist and geologist, developed projects to protect wild animal species such as the Anatolian wild sheep, mountain goat, fallow deer and roe deer, which are at risk of extinction in Turkey. She also carried out activities such as identifying wetlands in Turkey and determining their ecological characteristics, counting and inventorying bird species, and monitoring the migration of storks and birds of prey – activities that today are engraved in gold letters in the field of nature conservation.
As one of the founders of the World Wildlife Fund, Tansu Gürpınar advocated for the protection of Turkey’s rich biodiversity and led numerous campaigns against deforestation, pollution and other threats to the fragile ecosystems that enable our planet to thrive.
Tansu Gürpınar’s life and actions have been a compass in the field of nature conservation in Turkey and have played a founding role in shaping our roadmap and values at Yuva Association, and will continue to do so in the future. Our condolences go out to his family, his loved ones, and all those whose paths crossed with Gürpınar’s.
