A Turkish pop music festival, which was planned to take place at the beginning of June on one of Turkey’s southern beaches, has been delayed due to concerns about the spawning period of the endangered Caretta, also known as the loggerhead sea turtle.
The announcement of the festival on social media stirred a public outcry with environmental activists claiming that sound and light pollution would severely affect the loggerhead’s incubation period. The endangered sea turtles usually lay their eggs on seashores in 50-to-60-cm-deep holes. Their incubation period generally starts in May and usually lasts 50 days, after which the baby turtles make their way into the sea.
The decision to delay the event has been met with approval from musicians who were to take the stage at the festival and from other prominent public figures who even tried to raise awareness about the issue.