THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Hacı Ömer Güler, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Seed Growers Association, stated that Türkiye is not dependent on Israel for seeds and that the cessation of trade with Israel will not have a negative impact on the country. Güler also emphasised that Türkiye’s seed sector is at a level to compete in international markets.
Güler reminded that export and import transactions with Israel were stopped by the Ministry of Trade to cover all products.
Pointing out that seed trade between the two countries started in the 1990s, Güler said that some tomato varieties with long shelf life started to be imported from Israel in these years.
Güler indicated that this seed variety was developed in the country in the early 2000s, after which purchases from Israel decreased significantly.
“We are net exporters”
Explaining that the claims that ‘Türkiye is dependent on Israel for seeds’ do not reflect the truth, Güler made the following assessment:
‘Türkiye is neither dependent on Israel nor on any other country in seeds. Unfortunately, such a perception is tried to be created in the public opinion knowingly or unknowingly. As the seed sector, the cessation of our trade with Israel will have no negative impact on our country. In accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), our country, which is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters, can sell seeds to every country and imports seeds in order to transform them into final export products in line with the diversity of demand and free market requirements of the markets to which it exports. We have now clearly become an exporter country.’
Highlighting that the share of seed imports from Israel in total imports has decreased over the years, Güler added, “This rate, which was 5 percent from 2017 to 2021, decreased to 2.51 percent in 2022 and to 1.96 percent last year.”
