DIDIM is the home to ten Blue Flag-awarded beaches, it has been announced.

A ceremony at the Didim Marina revealed that awards had been handed to beaches in and around the region.

After a cocktail party, Didim Marin Coordinator Ali Erkan Bezirgan, said: “For years our country has had beautiful coasts, beaches and bays and it is down to us to keep them clean for future generations.

“These responsibilities are with us every day but to hear that pollution at sea has increased and particularly from coastal cities with issues unresolved, allowing some sewers to flow into the sea and cause marine pollution, hurts our hearts.”

In Turkey there are 379 beaches and 21 marinas that have been awarded the Blue Flag award by Turkey Environmental Education Foundation (TÜRÇEV).

In Aydin province there are a total of 25 beaches and two marinas – shared between Kusadasi and Didim – that have the quality mark.

In Didim, there are Blue Flag beaches at Third Beach, Altinkum Main Beach, Büyük Anadolu Didim Resort Hotel, D-Marin Didim Marina, Caprice Thermal Resort Hotel, as well as Majesty Club Tarhan Hotel, Oteler Onu (Dolunay) Public Beach, Palm Wings Hotel, Patio Beach Club and Venosa Beach Resort.

There are Blue Flag beaches in 46 countries, with Turkey ranked third in the league of having the most.

The criteria surrounds cleanliness , safety, environmental and sustainability aspects within the beach zones.

For more details on Blue Flag beaches in Aydin go to www.blueflag.org/menu/awarded-sites/2014/northern-hemisphere/turkey/aydin