13th Karaburun Grape Festival Started With Color Displays

Organized with the support of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, the 13th Karaburun Grape Festival started with colorful images. The people of Izmir showed great interest in the traditional event, which was held after a two-year break due to the pandemic. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyer“Whatever you say in the name of patriotism, nationalism, nationalism, it first starts with protecting the fertility of this land. We will protect the fertility of this land, the honor of this land, and the power of this land. We will protect the land of our grandfathers and grandchildren,” he said.

Kösedere Grape Festival, hosted by Karaburun Municipality and organized with the support of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, started. After the two-year pandemic, the grape producers of the region met with the people of Izmir in Kösedere Mahalle Square. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor attended the 13th Kösedere Grape Festival. Tunç Soyer and his wife Neptün Soyer, Karaburun Mayor Ilkay Girgin Erdogan and his wife Teoman Erdogan, political party representatives, muhtars, local people and Izmir residents. After the opening speeches, the festival continued with cortege and stand visits. In the festival, a talk on “Sustainability of Viticulture” was also held with the producers. In an interview moderated by agricultural engineer, researcher and writer Bilge Keykubat, Senior Agricultural Engineer Sacit İnal shared information on how viticulture can be increased in Karaburun, producers Yakup Aksür, Mehmet Özduran and Ahmet Eren. Producer Yakup Aksüt explained grape pressing techniques at Pekmez Workshop after the interview.

The disappearance of agricultural culture is never destiny

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who said that he was happy to be with the local people on one of the most special days of Karaburun. Tunç Soyer“Karaburun, which is the geography of grapes, olives and goats, continues to keep the traces of Anatolian fertility civilization alive. In order to produce permanent solutions to problems such as the climate crisis, the impact of which we are increasingly feeling, we have to transform harmony with our nature into a culture. The most basic step we need to take for this is to protect the seed, water and soil, which are the basic inputs of agriculture. To ensure that our producers, who are the guarantee of food safety, are satiated in the place where they were born. We called all these things 'Another Agriculture' in Izmir and we set out with a dream that we saw come true step by step today. Another farming is possible!. We say that agriculture is not something that only large-scale producers and industrial establishments can do. This has not been the case throughout history. Throughout history, it has always ensured that the small producer is a sector that provides satiation in the place where it was born. This is exactly why Anatolia has become the granary of the world. The peasant leaves his village and joins the army of the unemployed. Our agricultural culture is disappearing. So is this destiny? Never! We know very well that the cost of living we are in, this high inflation, the economic crisis is never a destiny," he said.

We will protect our land

Reminding that İzmir, with its fertile plains, mountains and valleys, deltas and streams, has been a place that has inspired life in harmony with nature for 8 years. Tunç Soyer“Five very valuable product groups, all produced with local seeds and breeds in this unique geography, are our priority products. These are drought-tolerant fruits such as grapes, figs and almonds, heirloom cereals and legumes, coastal fisheries, pasture farming and, of course, olives. These products form the backbone of our Izmir Agriculture policy, which is resistant to drought and climate crisis. All of these are grown in Karaburun. Karaburun is the paradise of goat culture. Karaburun is one of the most beautiful and fertile geographies in the world. Unfortunately, neither Karaburun, nor İzmir, nor Turkey live in a quality of life compatible with this potential with these riches. None of us live and none of us deserve it. We know that this is not destiny, we will change it. Whatever you call patriotism, nationalism or nationalism, it starts with protecting the fertility of this land. Let no one interrupt. We will protect the fertility of this land, the honor of this land, and the power of this land. We will protect the land of our grandfathers and grandchildren. We will continue to live together on this land, playing good-bye," he said.

We are happy to have a president whose leadership is agriculture and rural development.

Karaburun Mayor Ilkay Girgin Erdogan, who stated that the grape festival made a great contribution to the promotion of the district and Kösedere, said, “Today, our country is going through the deepest economic crisis and deep impoverishment process in its history. Due to the wrong economy and wrong agricultural policies, our producers, especially the agricultural sector, are moving away from the soil and production at a frightening speed. For those who want to understand, we experience many events full of historical events. While our heavenly country, with its lands that live all four seasons to the fullest, has the potential to easily feed at least 200 million people, today we are ashamed of watching the way of ships loaded with wheat and corn, which are allowed to leave Ukrainian ports. We know and believe that the days when we will throw off this shackle of shame are very close. The rich geography we live in enables the cultivation of agricultural products unique to Karaburun. Our duty is to reveal the abundance and to introduce you the products grown in the best way. We have to develop with policies that pioneer production without losing our core identity. We are happy that we have a metropolitan mayor whose priority is agriculture and rural development. Our President Tunç Soyerhas shown the importance it attaches to agriculture to everyone and sets an example for all of Turkey. We will ensure agricultural development with our farmers and producers on this path”.