Rivers are generally named according to their
color, environment and tumultuous nature. The
majority are not navigable because they are
capricious, violent and depth changing with
the seasons. Most originate from the Turkish
territory in the high plateaus of central and
eastern Anatolia.
Kizilirmak in Capadocia
Rivers
that flow into the Black Sea:
- The Kizilirmak (the red river), the old Halys
River, is fed with thawing of snow and spring rains.
It is 1,355 km / 842 miles long
- TheYesilirmak (the green river) is 416 km / 259
miles long
- The Sakarya is 790 km / 491 miles long
- The Çoruh rises in Georgia
Rivers
that flow into the Marmara Sea:
-
The Susurluk, Biga and Gönen
Rivers
that flow into the Aegean Sea have a light and irregular
flow:
- The Gediz Irmak
- The Meander (Büyük Menderes) has so many curves
and windings that its name has contributed to the
international terminology to describe them as "meanders
of a river". The river has formed a large alluvial
plain.
- The small Meander (Küçük Menderes).
- The Bakir
Rivers that flow into the Mediterranean Sea:
- The Ceyhan is 475 km / 296 miles long
- The Seyhan
- The Esen Çayi
- The Göksu
- The Asi Nehri rises in Syria
- The Manavgat Çayi
The great Mesopotamian rivers:
- The Tigris (Dicle) is 1,950 km / 1,212 miles long.
452 km / 281 miles within Turkey.
- The Euphrates (Firat) is 2,780 km /1,728 miles
long. 953 km / 593 miles within Turkey. Both rivers
provide most of Turkey's hydro-electric potential.
They join in Irak and flow into the Persian Gulf.
- The Murat is an affluent of the Euphrates. It
is 614 km / 382 miles long.
- The Aras flows flows over 435 km / 271 miles before
entering Iran.
In Thrace, the Maritza (Meriç) and its affluent
the Ergene flow along the Greek frontier.
