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
Tuz resmi were granted the title "tuz emini". Tuz resmi was usually arranged through the muqata'ah system; the government would grant a salt-producing resource to a contractor or tax-farmer, who would then be obliged to return a proportion of salt production (or the cash equivalent) to government coffers. There was usually a separate muqata'ah for each salt-mine. During the Tanzimat reforms, the Ottoman government took over complete control of salt production, and prices were fixed; in 1879, the salt industry was given to bankers as collateral against government borrowing, and then in 1881 it was made part of the Regie Company which