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Turkish beaches are among the best in Europe, with 38 more receiving blue flag certifications this year.
Last year, 192 of Turkey's beaches reached the tough standard set by the award, but in 2007, 38 more attained the level.
The award is granted by the International Environmental Education Foundation and places Turkey among the top eight countries in Europe, alongside Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia and Denmark.
The accreditation guarantees a standard of cleanliness, tidiness and maintenance that tourists can trust, as beaches are reassessed every year.
Beaches must realise 29 criteria to obtain the award, with water cleanliness the hardest to achieve.
Water is tested for bathing quality by insuring there is no industrial or sewage discharge present.
Other specifications of the system include environmental education and information provision, for example, each beach must offer a minimum of five educational activities.
An environment management committee must also exist and blue flag beaches are assured to have necessary safety services in place.
The Turkish Environmental Education Foundation has headed a campaign to receive more blue flag awards since 1996, when Turkey was awarded only 15 flags.
Marinas are also accredited and Turkey boasts 14 blue flag marinas.
Cyprus has the cleanest beaches in the European Union, scoring 99 percent compliance with the bloc's strictest standards, according to data released by the EU Thursday.
Greece came a close second with 96 percent, but the report on coastal and freshwater beaches around the 27-nation EU gave poor marks to Luxembourg and Poland.
The 2006 report contained information on 14,345 coastal and 6,749 inland bathing areas. The proportion of areas that met mandatory standards stood at 96.1 percent, similar to last year's figures.
The European Commission said that some 250 bathing sites tried to cheat inspectors by masking pollution or artificially improving their results.
Europe's top summer vacation centers generally did well. Of 1,863 seaside beaches tested in Spain, 92.7 percent got top marks. Only 64 of Greece's 2,047 beaches failed to make the top grade, along with just 1 of the 100 beaches tested in Cyprus.
The EU said of Luxembourg's 20 swimming sites that only 35 percent met the EU's beach standards, making the landlocked nation the worst of the class in 2006. It said inspections of the Grand Duchy's rivers and lakes showed "no sign of improvement for a number of years."
Poland also scored poorly. Of its 70 Baltic Sea bathing sites, 14.3 percent failed to meet minimum quality rules, while 17 percent failed similar standards for inland freshwater sites.
The Commission has already opened lawsuits against 11 EU nations for taking their dirty beaches off the list altogether to keep their national average high.
"I am very concerned by the number of bathing sites withdrawn from the list," said EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. "Removing sites from the list because they are polluted is not a solution. Member states must instead draw up plans for cleaning up these polluted sites."
European beaches are awarded coveted blue flags, as a measure of quality and safety, if they apply stringent EU rules on everything from the cleanliness of the bathing water to lifeguard services and how many garbage bins are placed at the bathing sites.
Europe's holiday beaches won generally high ratings on Thursday from the European Commission, which reported nearly nine out of 10 in good condition on the coasts, but only six out of 10 inland.
Among the top beach holiday countries, Greece rated highly with nearly all of its 2,047 coastal sites meeting mandatory standards and 97 percent meeting higher standards. Spain's 2,034 coastal beaches rated nearly as high for minimum standards, with 93 percent meeting higher standards. Italy's 5,705 bathing areas rated 93 percent at the minimum standard and 91 percent at the higher standard.
France's 1,893 coastal bathing areas were at 97 percent, but only 70 percent met the more stringent guidelines. France also has 1,319 inland beaches on freshwater sources such as lakes and reservoirs. Nine of 10 met mandatory standards, but only three out of five met higher standards.
The worst performer was Luxembourg, which has no coastal beaches and only 20 freshwater or inland beaches. Of those only 35 percent met mandatory standards, and the Commission said the situation was not getting better there.
But the ratings do not tell the whole story in every case. Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said he had "great concern" that some member states had de-listed beaches. "Member states must stop removing bathing sites from the official lists without formally stating the reasons," he said in a statement. "I regret that the initial warning by the European Commission has had no effect to stop this trend."
Holiday goers also have the alternative of getting a beach-by-beach report on swimming beach cleanliness.
Last year, 192 of Turkey's beaches reached the tough standard set by the award, but in 2007, 38 more attained the level.
The award is granted by the International Environmental Education Foundation and places Turkey among the top eight countries in Europe, alongside Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia and Denmark.
The accreditation guarantees a standard of cleanliness, tidiness and maintenance that tourists can trust, as beaches are reassessed every year.
Beaches must realise 29 criteria to obtain the award, with water cleanliness the hardest to achieve.
Water is tested for bathing quality by insuring there is no industrial or sewage discharge present.
Other specifications of the system include environmental education and information provision, for example, each beach must offer a minimum of five educational activities.
An environment management committee must also exist and blue flag beaches are assured to have necessary safety services in place.
The Turkish Environmental Education Foundation has headed a campaign to receive more blue flag awards since 1996, when Turkey was awarded only 15 flags.
Marinas are also accredited and Turkey boasts 14 blue flag marinas.
Cyprus has the cleanest beaches in the European Union, scoring 99 percent compliance with the bloc's strictest standards, according to data released by the EU Thursday.
Greece came a close second with 96 percent, but the report on coastal and freshwater beaches around the 27-nation EU gave poor marks to Luxembourg and Poland.
The 2006 report contained information on 14,345 coastal and 6,749 inland bathing areas. The proportion of areas that met mandatory standards stood at 96.1 percent, similar to last year's figures.
The European Commission said that some 250 bathing sites tried to cheat inspectors by masking pollution or artificially improving their results.
Europe's top summer vacation centers generally did well. Of 1,863 seaside beaches tested in Spain, 92.7 percent got top marks. Only 64 of Greece's 2,047 beaches failed to make the top grade, along with just 1 of the 100 beaches tested in Cyprus.
The EU said of Luxembourg's 20 swimming sites that only 35 percent met the EU's beach standards, making the landlocked nation the worst of the class in 2006. It said inspections of the Grand Duchy's rivers and lakes showed "no sign of improvement for a number of years."
Poland also scored poorly. Of its 70 Baltic Sea bathing sites, 14.3 percent failed to meet minimum quality rules, while 17 percent failed similar standards for inland freshwater sites.
The Commission has already opened lawsuits against 11 EU nations for taking their dirty beaches off the list altogether to keep their national average high.
"I am very concerned by the number of bathing sites withdrawn from the list," said EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. "Removing sites from the list because they are polluted is not a solution. Member states must instead draw up plans for cleaning up these polluted sites."
European beaches are awarded coveted blue flags, as a measure of quality and safety, if they apply stringent EU rules on everything from the cleanliness of the bathing water to lifeguard services and how many garbage bins are placed at the bathing sites.
Europe's holiday beaches won generally high ratings on Thursday from the European Commission, which reported nearly nine out of 10 in good condition on the coasts, but only six out of 10 inland.
Among the top beach holiday countries, Greece rated highly with nearly all of its 2,047 coastal sites meeting mandatory standards and 97 percent meeting higher standards. Spain's 2,034 coastal beaches rated nearly as high for minimum standards, with 93 percent meeting higher standards. Italy's 5,705 bathing areas rated 93 percent at the minimum standard and 91 percent at the higher standard.
France's 1,893 coastal bathing areas were at 97 percent, but only 70 percent met the more stringent guidelines. France also has 1,319 inland beaches on freshwater sources such as lakes and reservoirs. Nine of 10 met mandatory standards, but only three out of five met higher standards.
The worst performer was Luxembourg, which has no coastal beaches and only 20 freshwater or inland beaches. Of those only 35 percent met mandatory standards, and the Commission said the situation was not getting better there.
But the ratings do not tell the whole story in every case. Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said he had "great concern" that some member states had de-listed beaches. "Member states must stop removing bathing sites from the official lists without formally stating the reasons," he said in a statement. "I regret that the initial warning by the European Commission has had no effect to stop this trend."
Holiday goers also have the alternative of getting a beach-by-beach report on swimming beach cleanliness.