Lake Tuz processing and refining. In 2001, Lake Tuz was declared a specially protected area, including all of the lake surface and surrounding waterbeds and some of the important neighboring steppe areas. The main Turkish breeding colony of greater flamingo ("Phoenicopterus roseus") is present on a group of islands in the southern part of the lake. Greater white-fronted goose ("Anser albifrons") is the second largest breeder here. Lesser kestrel ("Falco naumanni") is a common breeder in surrounding villages. Lake Tuz Lake Tuz ( meaning Salt Lake) is the second largest lake in Turkey with its surface area and one of the largest
Kurds in Turkey since about 16th century. They number between 50,000 to 100,000 people. The core of the Kurds of Central Anatolia is formed by "Tuz Gölü Kürtleri" (Kurds of Lake Tuz) who live in Ankara, Konya and Aksaray provinces. Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) mentioned them as "Konya çöllerindeki Kürtler" (Kurds in the Konya deserts) in the interview with Ahmet Emin (Yalman) dated January 16/17, 1923. According to Hermann Wenzel, the original breeders of the Angora goat were the Kurds of Inner Anatolia. The largest tribes of the Kurds of Central Anatolia are the Bazaini or Shaikh Bazaini, Judikan, Saifkan, Chelebi, Janbeki, Jehanbegli, Khallikan,