İSPARK İstmarin boat parks have earned the right to receive the Blue Flag. In the Blue Flag award program, where environmental criteria such as sea water quality, boat park order and safety are important, for the first time after İzmir, İstanbul's İstmarin boat parks have received the Blue Flag.
The İSPARK – İSTMARİN brand, which makes significant contributions to Istanbul’s maritime transportation, has achieved significant success this year with its environmentally sensitive marina management approach. The “Blue Flag”, an international environmental award given to beaches and marinas that meet environmental standards, was delivered to its new owners at a ceremony held in Antalya on May 20, 2025. 29 marinas across Turkey were deemed worthy of the award. 4 marinas from Istanbul were awarded this prestigious environmental award. Among the award-winning marinas in Istanbul were the İstinye and Tarabya Boat Parks operated by İSPARK AŞ, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). With the Blue Flag award given to both boat parks, a first was achieved among public boat parks. While only İzmir Marina, operated by İZDENİZ A.Ş., a subsidiary of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, has received this award to date, as of 2025, both of İSPARK’s boat parks will also share in this environmental success.
What is the Blue Flag Program?
The Blue Flag Award Program is a prestigious environmental award conducted internationally with the aim of increasing environmental awareness. The program is managed by the “Foundation for Environmental Education – FEE”, the world’s largest environmental education organization, headquartered in Denmark. Operating in 81 countries, FEE’s sole authorized representative in Türkiye is the Turkish Environmental Education Foundation (TÜRÇEV). Within the scope of the program, marinas are encouraged to operate with an environmentally sensitive management approach. 38 criteria have been determined for marinas; among these, four main headings stand out: sea water quality, environmental education activities, ensuring safety and environmental management practices. Marinas that meet these criteria are entitled to receive the Blue Flag for one year as a result of the annual evaluation.
