Complete ban on all asbestos production, import, supply, and use effective December 31, 2010, under the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures Regarding the Use of Asbestos (Official Gazette, August 29, 2010) — fulfilling Turkey's EU accession candidacy obligations under Directive 1999/77/EC. Restrictions began with a crocidolite import ban in 1993; all amphibole forms were banned in 2001 under the Tehlikeli Kimyasallar Yönetmeliği (OG 24379); chrysotile was phased out from 2005 with a grace period for friction products. Turkey consumed an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of asbestos between 1900 and 2003. The Cappadocia region experienced an extraordinary mesothelioma epidemic: ~50% of deaths in three villages (Karain, Tuzkoy, Sarihidir) were caused by mesothelioma, primarily from erionite — a naturally occurring fibrous zeolite mineral rather than asbestos. National surveillance (TUNMES-EAECP, 2008–2012) identified 5,617 mesothelioma cases and 379 villages with continuing environmental asbestos/mineral fiber exposure affecting ~158,068 people. The February 2023 earthquakes generated 116–200 million tonnes of rubble from pre-ban buildings, releasing asbestos fibers with inadequate worker protection.
Prof. Y.I. Baris travels to Karain village, Cappadocia, and diagnoses 12 mesothelioma patients in a single visit — a rate roughly 1,000 times higher than comparable central Anatolian villages. The epidemic is later attributed primarily to erionite, a naturally occurring fibrous zeolite mineral, rather than asbestos.
↗ SourceBaris et al. publish the Cappadocia mesothelioma findings in Thorax, drawing international scientific attention. Findings ultimately change global understanding of mineral fiber carcinogenesis and inform IARC's Group 1 classification of erionite.
↗ SourceCrocidolite (blue asbestos) prohibited from import under the Zararlı Kimyasal Madde ve Ürünlerin Kontrolü Yönetmeliği — Turkey's first statutory restriction on any asbestos form.
↗ SourceTehlikeli Kimyasallar Yönetmeliği (Dangerous Chemicals Regulation, OG 24379) Article 37 bans extraction, production, and use of all amphibole asbestos fibers. Ministry of Health simultaneously approves relocation of three Cappadocia villages (Karain, Tuzkoy, Sarihidir) affected by the mesothelioma epidemic.
↗ SourcePartial ban (August 16): amosite and crocidolite banned immediately; one-year grace period until August 2006 for chrysotile in friction products (brake linings, clutch pads), tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite.
↗ SourceFull relocation of Tuzkoy village completed: ~250 families moved to new settlement 'Yeni Tuzköy,' 1.6 km from the original village — away from erionite-bearing geological formations. State-subsidized relocation.
↗ SourceComplete ban on asbestos production, import, supply, and use effective December 31, 2010, under the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures Regarding the Use of Asbestos (OG, August 29, 2010). Turkey consumed ~1.2 million tonnes of asbestos between 1900 and 2003.
↗ SourceTUNMES-EAECP national survey identifies 5,617 mesothelioma cases (2008–2012), 379 villages with continuing asbestos/mineral fiber exposure, and ~158,068 people in high-risk rural areas. Projects 2,511 additional cases by 2033.
↗ SourceKadıköy Municipality (Istanbul) becomes the first Turkish municipality to require an 'asbestos-free' certification for demolition licenses — requiring proper asbestos management before permits are granted.
↗ SourceFebruary 6 earthquakes (Kahramanmaraş sequence) generate 116–200 million tonnes of rubble from pre-ban buildings across ten provinces. Asbestos fibers released during collapse and debris removal; international agencies publish formal asbestos risk assessments for earthquake zones.
↗ SourceThe people who fought for change.
Pulmonary physician at Hacettepe University, Ankara. Discoverer of the Cappadocia mesothelioma epidemic. In 1975, diagnosed 12 mesothelioma patients in Karain village in a single visit — a rate ~1,000 times higher than comparable villages. Led a 23-year prospective study of 891 villagers documenting 372 deaths, 119 (32%) from mesothelioma.
Published the first scientific findings on the Cappadocia epidemic in Thorax (1978); changed global understanding of mineral fiber carcinogenesis; directly informed IARC's Group 1 classification of erionite; established a mesothelioma clinic in Tuzkoy village providing palliative care; work underpinned the state decision to relocate the affected villages.
↗ SourceChest physician at Eskişehir Osmangazi University; founder of APKAM (Applied Research Centre for Lung and Pleural Diseases) and organizer of the Turkish Mesothelioma Working Group. Established Turkey's national mesothelioma surveillance infrastructure when no registry or systematic data existed.
Led the TUNMES-EAECP national survey (2013) identifying 5,617 mesothelioma cases across Turkey; identified 379 high-risk villages and 158,068 people in continuing environmental exposure; projected 2,511 additional cases to 2033. Created Turkey's first systematic national mesothelioma data that underpins current public health policy.
↗ SourceAll forms of asbestos have been banned since 2010. Buildings constructed before this date may still contain asbestos materials.
2.3 cases per million people per year. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, with a latency period of 20–50 years.
A lower rate, though any mesothelioma cases indicate past asbestos exposure.
Source year: 2012
Estimated scope of asbestos-containing materials still present in the built environment.
The period when asbestos was most heavily used in construction. Buildings from this era have the highest probability of containing asbestos materials.
Common materials still present in buildings
1930–2000
1930–2000
1930–1990
1920–1980
1920–2000
1920–1985
1958–1980
Enter your building's age and type for a personalized asbestos risk assessment.
Check My Property's RiskLast updated: 2026-04-09
Information aggregated from public sources including IBAS, EPA, and WHO. Not legal or medical advice.
How we source our data →