Participation in protected area management: The case of the National park Historical Battle of Sakarya

In this study, in addition to the general problems of the protected areas in our country, the conservation and development practices to be carried out by adopting the principle of participatory and local management in the protected areas, on the example of the Sakarya Pitched Battle Historical National Park, which is a multi-part historical national park and announced in 2015, are determined and evaluated. It is aimed to offer solutions. In line with this goal, protected areas in Turkey, participatory management and public participation issues were evaluated. The compatibility of the Sakarya Pitched Battle historical National Park Long Term Development Plan and the management and practices of the Historical National Park for participatory management was investigated. In order to evaluate the suitability of the Sakarya Pitched Battle Historical National Park management system with participatory approaches, a face-to-face survey was conducted with the local people and the visitors of the National Park, and the participatory management approach in the area was evaluated. As a result of the study, suggestions were developed for the effective implementation of participatory management in the Battle of Sakarya Historical National Park. Keywords: Sakarya Pitched Battle, Historical national park, Protected area, Participatory management