12.03.2026 12:40
Hasan Çetinkaya, a 38-year-old living in Kahramanmaraş, turned his childhood dream of pigeon keeping into a profession. Leaving behind his 13 years of civil service, Çetinkaya started making a living by breeding pigeons.
Hasan Çetinkaya, who started pigeon breeding at the age of 10 in Kahramanmaraş, continues to raise his pigeons in a special area he created next to his house. Çetinkaya, who says he has sold some of the pigeons he has put great effort into for the price of a car, expressed that pigeon breeding is not just a hobby for him.
HE RESIGNED FROM HIS 13-YEAR PUBLIC SERVICE
Çetinkaya stated that he resigned from his position at the health institution he worked for to be able to do this job more comfortably, noting that he has raised special breed pigeons with the experience gained over the years and that this job requires patience and great effort. Çetinkaya, who mentioned that he worked as a civil servant in the health sector for 13 years, said, "I realized that I couldn't dedicate enough time to the pigeons, so I resigned from my position. Honestly, I do not regret it. I prefer pigeon breeding over 13 years of civil service," he said.
"I SENT THEM ESPECIALLY TO GERMANY AND FRANCE"
Çetinkaya expressed that they both produce and trade in pigeon breeding, stating that their work has reached an international level. He mentioned that they send pigeons to many countries around the world, saying, "I especially sent them to Germany and France; there is almost no city in Turkey that we haven't sent to. We send cargo almost every day. We ship pigeons outside the city seven days a week," he said.
"THERE ARE PIGEONS WORTH 1 MILLION LIRA"
Çetinkaya stated that pigeon prices vary according to breed characteristics, saying, "Within this breed, there are pigeons for 10 thousand lira, and there are also pigeons that reach a price of 1 million lira. What is important here is that the bird carries all the breed characteristics. Among the pigeons we raise, there are also those with high value. Among the birds you see on the counter, there are those valued at 300-400 thousand lira," he said.