National Geographic Data Portal (Turkey Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change)

Overview

The Geoportal – National Geographic Data Portal is Türkiye's official national geospatial data portal, developed and operated by the General Directorate of Geographic Information Systems (GD GIS) under the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye. It was launched publicly in August 2014 as the country's primary platform for discovering, searching, and accessing geospatial data held by public institutions.

History and Development

The development of a national geographic information infrastructure in Türkiye began in earnest in the early 2000s through a series of Information Society Strategy action plans. A feasibility study conducted in 2009–2010 laid the groundwork for a national GIS project. The General Directorate of Geographic Information Systems was formally established under the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in 2011. Work on implementing INSPIRE Directive standards and defining Turkey's National Spatial Data Infrastructure (TUCBS/TRGIS) proceeded through the early 2010s, and the Geoportal was publicly launched in August 2014. Subsequent phases have added transformation services and expanded mobile access capabilities.

Collections and Features

The portal provides access to spatial datasets from the Ministry as well as from other Turkish public institutions, covering themes including geology, land use, land cover, buildings, transport, water bodies, addresses, and urban infrastructure. It supports metadata search and editing, spatial data queries, and downloads according to user authorisation levels. The portal conforms to OGC and ISO standards and implements INSPIRE data themes. Related to the portal is the ATLAS application, which visualises spatial data from multiple ministries including the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, and the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.

Access and Usage

The Geoportal is accessible at cbs.csb.gov.tr. It is intended for use by government agencies, urban planners, environmental managers, and the public. Data access levels vary according to user authorisation.