12.05.2026 15:27
President Erdogan announced that the first tranche of $750 million from a $5.3 billion mega financing package prepared for the agriculture and food sector will be made available in 2026. Erdogan stated, "We will provide our businesses with financing opportunities of up to $10 million, depending on project size, with a 24-month grace period and up to 7-year maturity."
President Erdogan met with farmers at the "World Farmers' Day" program held at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center.
Beginning his speech by greeting all participants, Erdogan said, "I feel great happiness to be with you on the occasion of World Farmers' Day and to host you in the nation's home. Welcome to our Presidential Complex, this honorable venue, you have honored us."
Emphasizing the importance of production and abundance, Erdogan thanked the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the organization and stated the following:
“THE SWEAT OF OUR FARMERS IS IN THE RECORDS” On behalf of you, I congratulate all our farmers who irrigate the soil with the sweat of their brow, harvest their crops with their labor, and add strength to Turkey and abundance to its table with their production, on May 14 World Farmers' Day in advance. I wish all our farmers a productive year full of abundance and prosperity, and may the Lord reward your efforts in the best way. Finally, I send my strongest messages of solidarity to all my brothers and sisters, especially in Gaza and the West Bank, whose lands they once cultivated in different parts of our geography of the heart have been usurped, and whose fields are unfortunately watered with blood and sorrow. May Almighty Allah grant us all to see those beautiful days when those fertile lands will flourish again, trees will turn green again, and children will laugh and play with joy.
At the beginning of my speech, I want to particularly emphasize this point. If agriculture and livestock are standing in Turkey today, if production and export break new records every year, your sweat is in it. If our soil and water resources, and forests are protected in the most efficient way in Turkey today, your attention has an effect on it. In every product that comes to our table, there is your sincere intention, your pure effort, your genuine endeavor. Likewise, if the chains of tutelage have been broken in Turkey, and our democracy has become a stronger structure, your prayers and support have a role in it. You have a great role in the victory of the National Struggle and the defeat of the July 15 betrayal. I once again express my gratitude today to all our farmers who set tractor tires on fire on the night of July 15, flocked to streets, avenues, and squares, and defended the national will at the cost of their lives. May Allah be pleased with you. May He not show this country, this nation, this ummah your absence.
“AGRICULTURE AND SOIL ARE LIFE FOR US” Agriculture and soil hold a very important place in our pyramid of values. First of all, we are followers of a belief that sees the world as the field of the afterlife. With what we sow and harvest, with what we do, we strive to cultivate this field in the best and most productive way. For us, soil, like water, is sacred, life, blessing, and abundance. Soil is also a means of purity and cleanliness. Our performing tayammum with soil where we cannot access water is a sign of a realm of wisdom containing many meanings.
For us, soil is valuable not only for the blessings on it but also for the prophets, martyrs, saints, and spiritual figures interred beneath it. I would like to share an anecdote attributed to the late Yahya Kemal here. It is the second half of the 1920s. Yahya Kemal is an ambassador in a European city. One day, a foreign diplomat asks him about our country's population. Without hesitation, Yahya Kemal answers '80 million.' One of those present says, 'Sir, a census was conducted in your country recently. According to what we read in the newspapers, Turkey's population was determined to be about 14 million.' Upon this, Yahya Kemal, again without pausing, gives the following instructive answer: 'I counted those underground as well. Because we live together with them.' Yes, dear brothers and sisters, soil is blessed for us, both with what is on it and what is beneath it. With this understanding, since we came to power in 2002, we have literally cherished our soil and the farmers who work it with the sweat of their brow.
“WE PROVIDED 706 BILLION LIRA IN SUPPORT” Last year, we provided a total of 706 billion lira in support, including direct support, credit support, investment allowances, intervention purchases, and export supports. This year, we have increased this amount to 939 billion lira.
Everyone now accepts this reality; besides water stress and the climate crisis, the recent outbreaks of epidemics, hot wars, and conflicts have also confirmed the importance of food supply security. We see that the concept called food nationalism has become widespread on a global scale in recent times. As Turkey, thank God, we have taken our precautions against all these in advance. Saying 'whoever holds the key to the granary holds the power,' we made our plans based on these realities. While protecting our country and nation from the ring of fire surrounding us with our balanced foreign policy, we have also managed to ensure the food security of our 86 million citizens without any problems.
“WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS REGARDING FOOD SUPPLY SECURITY” We have been on alert since the first day to ensure that the conflicts deeply shaking Iran and our brotherly countries in the Gulf do not affect our agricultural production. We had already secured the supply of fertilizers and fertilizer raw materials in agriculture, and our fertilizer stocks are at a sufficient level. Additionally, we have implemented a series of additional measures, from reducing customs duties to zero to stopping exports. We have no problems regarding agricultural production and food supply security. As for fertilizers, we are now preparing for the autumn planting.
“206 TYPES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ARE GROWN” In our heavenly homeland, 206 types of agricultural products are currently grown. We are self-sufficient in many of these. Look, these figures are stated not by us but by international organizations: we are third in vegetable production and fourth in fruit production worldwide. We are in the top three in 21 plant-based product crops. In raw milk, beef, chicken meat, and eggs, we are similarly among the top ranks in the world and Europe. We are the leader in honey production in Europe and second in aquaculture. In seed production, we are among the top 10 countries in the world. We export seeds to 117 countries worldwide. Thank God.
“THIS YEAR WILL BE A VERY ABUNDANT YEAR” Since the beginning of this year, rainfall has been good. Our dams are filling up. We have no issues regarding irrigation either. Our plant production, which declined the previous year due to frost and drought events, will hopefully rise again this year. This year will be a very abundant year for many products, especially strategic ones like cereals, God willing.
INTENSE INTEREST IN “RURAL BOUNTY” PROJECTS Rural development forms the foundation not only of agriculture but also of our development policy. Our priority in this area is especially to make young people and women the main actors of rural development. The aim is to increase our number of breeding animals, strengthen our family farms, and ensure that women and young people take a greater role in livestock farming—these are the goals we particularly emphasize.
Our 'Rural Bounty Support for Livestock' and 'Rural Bounty Support for Small Ruminants' projects have seen great demand among our producers. We will make these support programs permanent, where our citizens obtain animals with low costs and favorable loans, and the costs of one-year care and feeding as well as insurance premiums are covered by the state. Our cattle support program has started to bear fruit. Thank God, calves are being born, herds are growing, and production is strengthening. In our small ruminant support program, applications have been completed. We will deliver the first animals to the beneficiaries next month.
“YOUNG PEOPLE AND WOMEN SHOULD BE THE MAIN ACTORS” On the other hand, we allocated 20 percent of the full 10 billion lira budget we set aside for the Rural Development Investments program to young people and women, and 30 percent to our family farms. This year, we increased both our grant support rate and the project limit amount eligible for support. Within the program, we will grant between 50 percent and 70 percent of the amount for projects ranging from 100,000 lira to 30 million lira. Applications will continue until June 12. I invite our youth, our female producers, and all our citizens engaged in agriculture to benefit from this advantageous program.
NEW ERA IN AGRICULTURE: INVESTMENTS WILL ALSO BE PLANNED We have left two years behind in the revolutionary production planning where we determine which product will be planted where in agriculture. In animal husbandry, we have identified beef, dairy, and poultry production regions and are providing extra incentives for investments to be made in these areas. Thanks to the practices we have implemented, particularly production planning, we currently have no food supply security issues, thank God.
However, we are also implementing new regulations and support mechanisms to both sustain these efforts and prevent food problems in the future. With this occasion, I want to share with you and our nation the project we see as a new step in rural development. Now, look, dear brothers and sisters; we are moving to the second phase of planning in agriculture. In this new phase, we will also plan agricultural investments.
HUGE 5.3 BILLION DOLLAR FINANCING PACKAGE We are launching the 'Turkey Agriculture-Food Sector Transformation Project for Employment and Rural Welfare' (TURTAP) this year, to be implemented with resources provided by the World Bank through our Ministry. With the project, we will facilitate access to finance for entrepreneurs wishing to invest in the agriculture and food sector. We will provide repayable financing of up to 80 percent of the investment amount and credit guarantee system supports.
We will provide our enterprises with financing opportunities of up to 10 million dollars, with a 24-month grace period, up to 7-year maturity, depending on the project size. This financial support will be given for facility construction and machinery-equipment investments to be made in the agriculture and food sector.
“NEW MARKET CHANNELS WILL BE OPENED FOR 400 THOUSAND FARMERS” We are opening the first 750 million dollars of this 5.3 billion dollar financing package, planned over 10 years, for use by our entrepreneurs in 2026. Within the scope of this project, we will also create a credit volume of approximately 500 million dollars for our farmers who have problems accessing credit and engage in conscious production, through a mechanism that will include the Credit Guarantee Fund. Thus, we will create new channels for 400 thousand of our farmers to market their products, and provide new employment opportunities for 250 thousand of our citizens.