Ode to olives

Olives are life for Mediterranean people. All the countries that have shores on the “Sea of Civilizations” consider it sacred. The olive tree is their sustenance; life revolves around it; in a way, all the mighty civilizations owe their existence to the olive. The olive is the fruit of happiness.

The olive harvest season has just begun; the green, grassy, early harvest oil has already been bottled. The harvest season usually begins in October, but the full harvest usually starts in November, depending on the region. Southern regions usually start a bit earlier, with the harvest work moving slowly north thereafter.

The best olive oil comes from the north Aegean; the town of Ayvalık being like the epicenter of olive groves in Turkey. On Nov. 1-2, the Ayvalık Chamber of Commerce organized its Olive Harvest Festival for the 10th time. This year, at the 10th anniversary of the festival, it was like a family reunion, as all the food- and economy-related Turkish press came together with olive oil producers and friends from Ayvalık. Apart from being the celebration of the first decennial, there was something special during this harvest. The renowned former head of the chamber, Rahmi Gençer, who first initiated the festival, is now the mayor of Ayvalık. This creates a huge advantage for a town that is so associated with olives.

Gençer knows all about the problems of the sector. He, once a producer himself, had been the leading force behind the geographical appellation registration of Ayvalık olive oil back in 2007. Now he is initiating new projects, one being the restoration of the old Kırlangıç soap and olive oil factory building.

The factory, adjacent buildings and the whole area on the coastline will undergo a major...