Afrin’s Olive Oils is a ‘Trade Secret’, Says Minister of Agriculture

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Responding to a Parliamentary question previously submitted by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Hatay MP Mehmet Güzelmansur, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli has stated that the requested information as to the Afrin's olive oils released to the domestic market of Turkey is a "trade secret."

In his Parliamentary question, CHP MP Güezlmansur asked the amount of Afrin's olive oils released to the domestic market in Turkey as well as the ways in which these were inspected, the number of companies that released the export-registered olive oils to the domestic market and the amount of fines imposed on these companies.

In his answer to these questions, Pakdemirli has not shared the requested information, referring to it as a "trade secret."

'Smuggling is now called a trade secret'

Making a statement about the answer of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, CHP MP Güzelmansur has stated the following:

"According to the 2019 External Trade data shared by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), 44.5 million dollar worth of olive oil was brought from Afrin. They were got into the country on the condition they would not be released to the domestic market and exported. However, perhaps due to a lack of inspection or because it was tolerated, a considerable amount of this olive oil was released to the domestic market. The price of local olive oils eventually dropped to 3-4 Turkish Lira (TRY).

"Our olive oil producers were unable to sell olive oil even at cost. Producers and traders incurred massive loss. It affected a considerable part of the society. What is requested here is not the information about the ones doing business in accordance with the law, but about the ones breaking the laws and making citizens suffer. Therefore, the data not announced here because it is a 'trade secret' is, in fact, the subject of smuggling. Since when is smuggling considered a trade secret? This needs to be explained."

What happened?

Turkey conducted a military operation in Syria's Afrin in 2018, named the "Operation Olive Branch." At that time, it was alleged that the olive gardens in Afrin were seized by Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the olives harvested there were sold to Turkey. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli confirmed these allegations later on. (HA/SD)