25.10.2026 16:43
New Party General Chair Özgür Özel met with grape producers in Sarıgöl after his party's Manisa provincial congress. Stating that table grapes, which were 35-40 liras last year, have dropped to 10 liras this year, and that the same grapes are sold for 100 liras in Ankara, Samsun and Ardeşen and 120 liras in Diyarbakır, Özel noted that production costs have nearly doubled and listed seven proposals for grape growers.
LAST YEAR IT WAS 40 LIRA, THIS YEAR 10 LIRA
New Party General Chair Özgür Özel met with grape producers in Sarıgöl after his party's Manisa provincial congress. Addressing producers in front of Sarıgöl Government House, Özel said, “The chair said, ‘The grape grower is in a very difficult situation and cannot make his voice heard. Come, Mr. General Chair, make our voice heard.’ We are here to hear you. Production costs have nearly doubled this year compared to last year. Last year table grapes were 35-40 lira. These grapes are sold for 100 lira in Ardeşen. There is a video of it. These grapes are your grapes. They are sold for 120 lira in Diyarbakır, 100 lira in Ankara, and 100 lira in Samsun. But these grapes were 40 lira last year; this year these grapes are 10 lira. Now let all of Turkey hear the cry here. Just as we always try to make heard the voice of the tea grower in Rize, the hazelnut grower in Ordu and Giresun, the wheat grower in Hayrabolu, the sunflower grower in Thrace, and the cotton producer in Çukurova, we are trying to make heard the voice of the producer of my own hometown's grapes,” he said.
SCHOOL GRAPES AND A TURKISH AIRLINES SUGGESTION
Noting that short-term measures must be taken to solve grape producers' problems, Özel said, “We will support farmers' cooperatives and institutions such as TARİŞ to the end. Today, of course, there are stopgap measures that need to be taken quickly. The 25-gram school grape packages must be made immediately again. Grapes should be distributed alongside hazelnuts on Turkish Airlines. Grapes should enter meals in the military as healthy sugar instead of artificial sugar. TARİŞ must be strengthened, encouraged for licensed warehousing, supported, and given credit. Bringing dried grapes here from abroad is forbidden; they bring dried grapes under the name of animal feed and make suma. This charlatanism must be stopped. Of course, these are a bandage to stop the rapid bleeding this year, but as I said: The New Party is not an opposition party. The opposition states the problem. The government states the solution,” he said.
SEVEN PROPOSALS FOR GRAPE GROWERS
Stating that the New Party's seven proposals to solve grape growers' problems were put on record from Sarıgöl, Özel said, “I promise to do these when in power, and I say, ‘Hold accountable anyone who does not do them.’ First, grape purchases must be increased, and the purchasing policies of the Soil Products Office and TARİŞ must be re-evaluated. Prices that protect producers must be applied for the product left in farmers' hands, and a fast and correct price system must be established through TARİŞ and TMO. Second, we will cancel the interest on your bank debts and defer the principal without interest. We will split it into several installments. We will give all of you a new breath loan for a new period. We will give farmers the second spring loan and also cancel debts. We will also defer the principal. Third, agricultural insurance premiums are a major problem. These must be recalculated. They issued policies at last year's 30-lira price; it is impossible for anyone to pay this. Today's 10-lira price must be taken as the basis, premiums must be reduced, and payments must absolutely be deferred. Fourth, taxes on diesel, fertilizer, and agricultural pesticides must be reduced, and direct production support must be given to farmers. Fifth, an import ban must be imposed until the domestic producer's grapes are evaluated. Let me say this: this is called a bunch. This is called a cluster. Anyone who allows imports until the last cluster of the domestic producer's grapes is bought is dishonorable. Factories' purchasing conditions must be made transparent, kept away from politics, favoritism must not be allowed, and obstacles preventing producers from selling their products directly to factories must be removed. The distinction between farmer and merchant must be eliminated, and farmers must not be forced to depend on merchants. Sixth, Sarıgöl must gain facilities that will process suma and rejected grapes. Entrepreneurs who will establish these facilities must be given high grants and incentives. Instead of rotting on the vine, grapes must be processed and brought into the economy. The first factory is a gift from Özgür Özel to Sarıgöl; for anyone who wants to open a new one, credit, incentives—all together in the coming period. Finally, seventh, lost export markets must be regained, support must be provided to reduce transportation costs, and the competitiveness of Sarıgöl grapes and Alaşehir grapes in foreign markets must be increased. In the coming period, Özgür Özel will take grape growers by the arm and will introduce Sarıgöl grapes to the world market and get them sold,” he said.
Ersan ERDOĞAN/SARIGÖL (Manisa),