THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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October, 2026…
Dr. M. Mehdi Eker—Türkiye’s former Minister of Agriculture (2005–2015) and the official candidate nominated by the Republic of Türkiye for the position of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the second-largest institution of the United Nations—is one of the agricultural sector’s most distinguished and highly qualified figures.
As the largest agricultural economy in Europe and the Middle East—and ranking among the top ten globally—Türkiye is home to the fertile lands of Mesopotamia, where the agricultural revolution first took place. It boasts the world’s magnificent rivers—the Euphrates, Tigris, Sakarya and Kızılırmak—alongside the world-renowned Çukurova and Gediz plains. Beyond feeding its population of nearly ninety million, as well as 65 million tourists and 3 million migrants, the country is an agricultural giant that exports 35 billion dollars worth of agri-food products annually to 200 countries worldwide.
Türkiye is the homeland of wheat, barley, cherries, hazelnuts, figs and apricots and the place where the world’s finest fruits and vegetables are grown. With its unique climate, magnificent plains and exquisite highlands, it is a land of diverse landscapes offering the world’s most delicious fruits and vegetables, thyme-infused meats and cheeses and honeys of incomparable flavour. This candidacy is a wonderful step—taken at precisely the right moment for the sake of global peace and food security—originating from Anatolia; a crossroads of three continents where European, African and Turano-Siberian gene pools mingle; a land hosting thousands of plant and animal species ranging from bananas to tea, avocados to cotton, sesame to chickpeas and taro to blessed thistle and asparagus and a veritable paradise on earth where bees find flowers in bloom throughout all four seasons.
Producing 155 million tonnes of agri-food products annually—despite challenges like frost, hail, drought, disease, pests and earthquakes—and operating 24/7 in the field with a massive ministry workforce of 150,000, the country possesses—contrary to popular misconceptions—the world’s strongest culinary tradition in terms of quality and reliability, with this candidacy, it stakes a major claim in global agriculture.
Mr. Eker believes that food should serve peace rather than war, that bread grows as it is shared, that agricultural trade fosters global peace and that, ultimately, every human being should be able to go to bed with a full stomach. He also believes that, in agricultural terms, Türkiye serves as a natural bridge—historical, cultural, commercial and technological—connecting East and West, North and South and developed and developing nations and that this bridge is needed now more than ever.
Türkiye—a nation that produces, processes and sells, adding vibrancy to tables around the world—is pursuing the FAO Director-Generalship; this move is invaluable not only to us but to all nations that feel the global system is operating unfairly. In short, through this candidacy, Türkiye is stepping up to take responsibility for the better functioning of the global system, declaring, “I am ready to play my part.”
Türkiye’s candidacy for the position of FAO Director-General represents the most significant step taken to date toward securing a leadership role in any UN agency. It is the right institution, the right candidate and the right time. Success requires promotion across every platform, outreach to foreign institutions, organizations and individuals—both generally and personally—and of course, sincere prayers. May it be auspicious, God willing…
By Dr. Nevzat Birişik,
Intellectual in the field of agriculture and food policies…
