President Erdoğan's comment on Köfteci Yusuf: They have the right to defend themselves, our inspections will continue.

The list of hazardous products recently shared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry included pork in the products of Köfteci Yusuf, which became a hot topic in Turkey. Köfteci Yusuf, which has branches in many provinces of Turkey, denied the incident. The company described the events as a 'setup' and demanded that "this matter be clarified to the end." President Erdoğan also broke his silence regarding Köfteci Yusuf.

After his visits to Albania and Serbia, Erdoğan answered journalists' questions on the plane regarding Köfteci Yusuf. He was asked, "There is a meatball chain. First, it was said that 'They are being protected,' then it was exposed. Now it is said that 'Injustice is being done.' That meatball chain is right in the middle of a full debate. Are you following those discussions? What do you think?"

"THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES"

In response to this question, President Erdoğan emphasized that inspections regarding food will continue: "There are 724,000 food businesses in Turkey. These are producers, sellers, and distributors. They are inspected at least once a year by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This year, the number of inspections approached 1 million. Our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has made it possible to monitor these electronically in real-time as soon as a problem is detected. In the inspection at the mentioned meatball shop, non-compliant food was detected at two branches in Ankara. A criminal complaint is filed with the prosecutor's office. There are objection processes. The court first cancels the decision of our Ministry of Agriculture, and when the Ministry appeals this decision, the appeals are accepted this time. When the judicial process is completed and finalized, the inspection report is published. The administrative actions taken by our Ministry are also under judicial review. Everyone has the right to defend themselves. Ultimately, the court gives the final decision, and the Ministry publishes the result of the inspection. These inspections will continue, they are ongoing. Ultimately, food is indeed a matter that must be taken seriously," he replied.