09.03.2025 20:21
Sinan Kutlu, who started cheese production in a tent in the Viranşehir district of Şanlıurfa, has begun exporting Italian cheeses to many countries with the factory he established, covering an area of 7,000 square meters. By collecting 11,000 tons of milk each year, he contributes to the local economy while aiming for growth in the international market.
Sinan Kutlu, who lives in the Viranşehir district of Şanlıurfa, achieved significant success in cheese production, which he started in a tent 25 years ago. Kutlu, who develops his business every day, established a factory in the Organized Industrial Zone (OSB).
EXPORTING TO MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE USA
In his factory, which is built on an area of approximately 7,000 square meters, he exports Italian cheeses used in pasta, pizza, salad, and many sauces to many countries, primarily the USA. Kutlu, who collects about 11,000 tons of milk annually from 3,800 families living in rural areas, contributes to the economy of the province and increases the country's share in the foreign market. In the factory, which operates entirely under modern conditions, in addition to Italian pecorino cheese, yogurt, tulum cheese, registered butter, and ricotta cheese are also produced.
11,000 TONS OF MILK USED ANNUALLY
Mustafa Acar, the factory manager, stated that they produce 5 types of cheese in the factory, saying, "We produce 5 types of cheese here. This is a dairy factory with an area of 7,000 square meters. The cheeses we produce here include feta cheese and white cheese. We produce pecorino cheese, made from hard sheep's milk. We produce tulum cheese. We produce geographically marked butter. We purchase approximately 11,000 tons of milk annually. Overall, we collect milk from 3,800 households. We also receive milk from Ceylanpınar TİGEM. The incoming milk is pasteurized here before being processed. Then we make products from sheep's milk. We have a type of cheese that we export to the Middle East and America. We call it Italian cheese, pecorino cheese. It is made from sheep's milk. It is a very hard cheese. This cheese is consumed in pasta, pizzas, salads, and sauces," he said.
THE ADVENTURE THAT STARTED IN A TENT
Acar, who stated that they started cheese production in a tent, said, "Our story is very interesting. There is an adventure that started in a tent in 2001. We are now an integrated facility. We export abroad. We have about 100 people working at the facility. Together with our friends in the milk milking and collection operation, we are a total of 400 people. Establishing such a facility and obtaining the necessary documents for export and selling products domestically is one of the essentials. Especially food safety and traceability are very important, so we invested a lot in quality. We are collaborating with Harran University, which is located in our region. We established our raw milk and microbiology laboratory together with the university. We also have 4 food engineers from the region. These friends are really well-equipped. By receiving training together with the university, we produce quality products in our factory," he expressed.
"WE WANT TO CREATE A WORLD BRAND FROM ANATOLIA"
Sharing their future goals, Acar said, "From now on, we want to develop small ruminant farming in our region. This is the most important thing because if we don't have raw materials, we cannot do this job. We are providing an economic contribution to the region in this regard. Then we want to be a model in the region. We want to be a model that has started under these conditions, exports, and meets the necessary requirements, and we want to create a world brand from Anatolia. This is one of our biggest goals," he said.
"WE RECORDED HIGH GROWTH BETWEEN 2020 AND 2025"
Italian participant Peppi Fadda stated that they have recorded very high growth, saying, "We are here to work on pecorino grated cheese sold to the United States since 2020. The quality of the product has received immediate positive feedback from our sellers. In fact, we recorded high growth rates in cheese sales between 2020 and 2025, but the best result is the creation of a new stage that has never been seen before. The living standards of families engaged in sheep farming have improved, and they now feel more confident in selling their milk. Because they know that Sinan Kutlu can easily pay for the milk prices and, most importantly, that he has financial security. We have important goals, and may God give us the strength to continue this work," he said.