11.10.2026 23:00
In the Akseki district of Antalya, the harvest has begun for the menengiç (terebinth), which grows spontaneously in the Taurus Mountains and is known locally as 'çöğre'. The terebinth, which yielded an abundant crop this year, has become a source of income for the villagers, selling for 250-300 Turkish liras per kilogram, while its oil sells for 1,200 liras per liter. Every part of the fruit, which is also consumed as coffee and nuts, from its oil to its pulp, is being utilized.
Terebinth, which is among the natural riches of the Taurus Mountains, grew abundantly this year in the Akseki district of Antalya and became an important source of income for the local people.
The terebinth fruit, known locally as 'çöğre', begins to be collected from the mountains as it ripens in October, while the dried fruits are consumed as nuts during the winter months. Some of it is used in making coffee and local foods, while oil is also extracted from the fruits. The kilogram of terebinth fruit is offered for sale at 250-300 lira, and a liter of its oil at 1,200 lira. The pomace left after the oil extraction process is also evaluated as animal feed and brought into the economy.
'THEY COLLECT 30-50 KILOGRAMS OF TEREBINTH A DAY' Hülya Kara, living in the Çukurköy Neighborhood of Akseki, said that because they are forest villagers, they try to benefit from the natural riches offered by the mountains. Stating that they began collecting terebinths that ripen in October, Kara expressed that the collection process is quite laborious. Explaining that they collect 35-40 kilograms of terebinth in a day, Kara said, 'Because we are forest villagers, we try to benefit from all the riches of the mountains. The time has come to collect terebinth, known locally as çöğre. When it ripens in October, we start collecting. We collect 35-40 kilograms in a day. Collecting it is quite difficult. After collecting, we clean and wash it and dry it. Not everyone appreciates its value. Many people in our region collect it.'
'MY GOD, HE GAVE ABUNDANTLY THIS YEAR' Ayşe Güven, living in the Alaçeşme Neighborhood of Akseki, also said that this year the fruit on the terebinth trees was quite abundant. Stating that they go up to the mountains with baskets and collect terebinth, Güven expressed that they use the fruits both to obtain oil and to consume in winter. Güven said, 'We go up to the mountains with our special baskets and collect 30-40 kilograms of terebinth a day. This year it is quite abundant. It grows in its natural environment in Akseki, in the Taurus Mountains. This year its fruit is very plentiful. My God, He gave abundantly. Mashallah, there is quite a lot of fruit on the trees. We extract its oil. We use it both as oil and consume it as nuts in winter. Terebinth is a quite oily fruit.'
ALSO KNOWN FOR THE 'ÇÖĞRE TREE' FOLK SONG Abdullah Güven, living in the Alaçeşme Neighborhood and obtaining oil from more than 30 plants grown in the Taurus Mountains, also stated that the collection period for the terebinth fruit has begun. Explaining that he both collects terebinth himself and extracts oil from the fruits brought by the villagers, Güven said that the product is abundant this year due to the rains. Stating that terebinth is known locally as çöğre, Güven said, 'I work on extracting oil from plants. The time has come to collect the terebinth fruit, known locally as çöğre. This fruit, which grows spontaneously in its natural environment in the Taurus Mountains, has been abundant this year due to rainy weather. I also collect it myself and extract its oil. I also obtain oil from the terebinths brought by the villagers.' Expressing that terebinth is a fruit known in the region since ancient times, Güven used the expressions, 'In fact, a folk song called 'Çöğre Tree' was even made about this fruit in the past.'
'1 KILOGRAM OF OIL IS OBTAINED FROM 3 KILOGRAMS OF TEREBINTH' Stating that the oil rate of the terebinth fruit is high, Güven noted that 1 kilogram of oil is obtained from approximately 3 kilograms of fruit. Explaining that terebinth is also known by names such as bıttım, wild pistachio, and çitlembik in different regions, Güven said that the fruit is traditionally used in different ways. Stating that the terebinth fruit is dried and used in making coffee, Güven expressed that in addition to obtaining oil from the fruit, it is also used in preparing different foods.
'BOTH ITS OIL AND POMACE ARE UTILIZED' Explaining that the pomace left after extracting oil from terebinth is not wasted either, Abdullah Güven said that the economic value of the product increases with its use in different areas. Güven said, 'We also utilize the pomace left after extracting the oil of the terebinth. We sell the pomace as animal feed. Thus, we benefit not only from the oil of the fruit but also from the remaining part. We also make terebinth coffee.'
'IT IS SALTED BEFORE DRYING' Stating that the terebinth fruit must be prepared properly after being collected, Güven also gave information about traditional drying methods. Güven said, 'After this plant is collected, it is brought home, cleaned, rinsed with water, and drained. Then it is salted, spread out, and dried. If it is not salted, this fruit spoils. In the past, our ancestors used terebinth a lot.'
'AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INCOME IN AUTUMN' Terebinth, which grows naturally in the mountainous areas of Akseki and its surroundings, becomes one of the important occupations of forest villagers in the autumn months. Some of the collected fruits are dried and consumed as nuts during the winter, while some are used in making coffee and local foods. The oil obtained from the fruits is both used in homes and offered for sale. The pomace left after the oil extraction process is used as animal feed.
The fact that a kilogram of terebinth fruit is 250-300 lira and a liter of its oil is 1,200 lira makes the product economically valuable for the local people. Terebinth, one of the natural riches of the Taurus Mountains, is evaluated with traditional methods and contributes to the family budget of the villagers living in Akseki.