Within the scope of the "11 Million Trees; Saplings Today, Breath Tomorrow" mobilization carried out throughout Türkiye by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 11 million saplings were planted in 81 provinces of Türkiye. The organization, which attracted great interest from citizens, aims to break world records in two separate areas. 

Within the scope of the project organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and supported by Tarım Kredi Kooperatifleri, 11 million saplings were planted in the country. The event, which was held simultaneously in 2023 locations in 81 provinces, was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife Emine Erdoğan, as well as Vice President Fuat Oktay, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin , Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül, Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli and many citizens attended. 

Our goal is an emerald green Türkiye 

Speaking at the ceremony held in the sapling planting area, President Erdoğan provided information about the campaign. Erdoğan said, “The beautiful view that we are sharing with you here today is being experienced simultaneously in 2,023 different points in all 81 provinces of our country. On 11.11.2019, at 11.11, we are planting a total of 11 million saplings and trees with the soil with the hope that they will be a breath for the future. Our goal is to create a picture of an emerald green Türkiye.” President Erdoğan said, “I am sending my love to all my nature-loving brothers and sisters of all ages, professions and dispositions from the sapling planting area in Ankara. I pray to God that these saplings that we have planted will be auspicious for our country, our nation and our 81 provinces.” Erdoğan
 

11 November National Afforestation Day

Noting that the breath mobilization for the future has turned into a campaign that will set an example for the world by exceeding its goals with the high interest it has received, Erdoğan continued as follows: "Our record will be followed and recorded by the Guinness Book of Records from Çorum today. years ago, he came up with the idea to consider it as 'tree day'. We supported this idea and signed the Presidential decision last week regarding the declaration of November 11 as the National Afforestation Day. I wish the best for our nation, our youth and our children. I hope that every year from now on, our nation will be in the designated areas to plant saplings when the calendars show 11 November and the clocks show 11.11."

Legacy to the future

Stating that Dede Korkut told the tree, "If I tell you a tree is a tree, don't get hung up on a tree, the gate of Mecca and Medina is a tree, the staff of Moses is a tree, the bridge of great great waters is a tree, the ship of the dark seas is a tree, and Zülfikar's scabbard and hilt are a tree," Erdoğan said. "We cannot know in advance where each of the saplings we planted here today will be used for what good work in the future. The more trees we plant for him, the greater the legacy we will leave for the future," he added.

Reminding that our ancestors said, "It roars with a tree branch," President Erdoğan said, "We will continue to roar with the forests we will create with the 82 million works we will put together and of course the saplings we planted. Our nation is making history today, as it always has. It is making history with its struggle against the attacks against its independence and future. He writes history against terrorist organizations. He writes history in every field of economy, industry, exports and tourism."

4.5 billion saplings met with soil in 17 years

Explaining that they have made huge investments for 17 years in order to increase Turkey's forest area and tree wealth, to develop biological diversity and to protect the environment, Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

"We have increased our forest assets from 20.8 million hectares to 22.6 million hectares by bringing together 4.5 billion saplings in 17 years. Thus, we reduced the amount of soil lost by erosion from 500 million tons to 154 million tons annually. To date, we have planted 14 million saplings to grow trees such as walnuts, almonds, olives, laurels, chestnuts, etc. Thus, we have also increased the income of our people from the soil. The name of our green passion is to make 1.5 times the afforestation done in the entire Republic period in 17 years. "No one's scales can measure our green love, tree sensitivity and environmental sensitivity. Our service acquis exceeding 25 years is full of unique examples of these."
At the end of his speech, President Erdoğan thanked the interest shown in the campaign. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli presented President Erdogan with a handmade painting prepared using 65 plant species that grow naturally in forests.

Historical Record

Minister Pakdemirli, regarding the historic "record" event where 11 million saplings met with the soil today, said, "The area afforested with 11 million saplings corresponds to the size of 13 thousand football fields. This area covers all the 10,765 kilometers of land and sea borders of the Republic of Turkey with saplings one meter apart. means to surround it all around." used the phrases.

Pakdemirli said that the love of the Turkish nation for the land of the homeland was crowned with the event, and the citizens, who showed great interest in the mobilization, embraced nearly 14 million saplings, although they limited the campaign to 11 million saplings.
Stating that the campaign turned into a mobilization with great interest and became a national issue, Pakdemirli said, "From now on, we will be in the sapling planting areas with our nation every 11 November. We also spoke with the Minister of National Education, our schools will also be in the seedling planting areas every 11 November." 

Forests as big as two Cyprus islands were added

Pointing out that Turkey is one of the rare countries that increase its forest assets, Pakdemirli stated that as the Ministry, they have realized 1.5 times the afforestation done in 57 years in the last 17 years.

Pakdemirli stated that they reforested 40 times the area of burning forests and said:

"While 75 million saplings were produced annually before 2002, we have been producing an average of 350 million saplings per year for the last 17 years. Before 2002, 1 quarter of our country's area was forest, but today we have brought 1/3 of our land area to forest. "We have increased an area of 1.8 million hectares. Today, we have brought a forest area the size of two Cyprus islands to our country. Hopefully, we will bring 7 billion saplings to the soil in our country by 2023. In other words, we will plant saplings as much as the world population of 7 billion."

Two records at once with 11 million saplings

Emphasizing that with the mobilization of 11 million saplings, Turkey will enter the Guinness Book of Records with two records, Pakdemirli said:

"The world record of 'planting the most saplings in 1 hour' belonging to Indonesia with 232 thousand 647 saplings will be registered in the name of Turkey after planting more saplings in 1 hour in Çorum. For our second record, if you haeve a photo you took while planting a sapling today We would like you to upload it to ''futuregenefesalbum..com'. Thus, we will have set a second record as a nation by registering the 'World's Largest Online Tree Planting Person Album' with Guinness."

After the speeches, 11 million saplings were planted with the participation of citizens from all over Turkey.