Life fades on Turkey's Mada Island

MADA ISLAND, BEYSEHIR, TURKEY, OCTOBER 2026: Residents go about their daily lives on Mada Island in Lake Beysehir, where a small community continues to depend largely on fishing as the island's population declines. With no road connection, school, grocery store or health centre, residents rely on small boats to reach the mainland for basic services and supplies. Local fishermen say falling water levels, pollution and declining catches in Lake Beysehir are adding to economic pressures and encouraging younger residents to leave. Celal Er, a fisherman raising his young child on the island, says his catch over the past week did not cover the cost of fuel for his boat and that he is considering leaving when his child reaches school age. The community's declining population and limited access to essential services are putting increasing pressure on a way of life sustained on the island for generations. Photo by Emrullah Gumus / JNA Press (Photo by Emrullah Gümüş/JNA Press via Nexpher Images)