The 2nd Stage of Cleaning the Bottom Mud in Izmit Bay Continues

The large environmental project initiated by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality with the aim of returning Izmit Bay to its former healthy days continues at full speed. The Metropolitan Municipality, which successfully completed the first phase of the “Izmit Bay Eastern Basin Bottom Mud Cleaning, Dewatering and Disposal Service Project”, removed 125 million cubic meters of bottom mud from an area of ​​1,1 hectares from the Marmara Sea. Now, work continues uninterruptedly on the second phase of the project.

2nd Stage Works Will Be Completed by the End of 2026

The second phase of the project started on March 15, 2025. This comprehensive work aims to clean a total of 165 million 1 thousand cubic meters of bottom mud in an area of ​​200 hectares. The Metropolitan Municipality plans to complete this important phase by the end of 2026. After the second phase, the third and final phase of the project will begin.

Target Total 3,8 Million Cubic Meters of Mud Cleaning

Detailed scientific reports prepared in collaboration with TÜBİTAK-Marmara Research Center (MAM) and Istanbul University revealed that 468 million cubic meters of bottom mud needed to be cleaned in a total area of ​​3,8 hectares in the Eastern Basin of İzmit Bay. This huge environmental project is considered one of the largest in Europe and is being carried out meticulously within the framework of the “Bottom Mud Cleaning Project Joint Cooperation Protocol” signed by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change on August 28, 2022.

Clean Gulf, Aquarium-like Clear Waters

With the completion of the project, significant improvements are expected in the water quality of Izmit Bay. The Metropolitan Municipality aims to ensure that the Gulf will eventually attain a cleaner, clearer and healthier ecosystem, resembling an aquarium. This vision aims not only for environmental improvement, but also for the revival of marine life in the region and the development of marine tourism.