New production package puts Turkey's olive trees at grave threat

Turkey witnessed a heated debate over the fate of its olive trees this week during voting on a production reform draft in parliament. Although some provisions were left out by the government amid severe opposition from various parts of the society, a number of key provisions remained the same the extent that "olive trees will no longer being subject to legal protection," according to opposition groups. 

Most importantly, we may be talking about the irreversible destruction of a culture as well as age-old olive trees on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts of Turkey.

After four to six years of growth, an olive tree begins to assume its mature shape. From now on, as it grows toward maturity, the plant looks just like a larger version of its present condition. Even after the tree reaches its maximum height, it continues to bear fruit and produces new growth for up to and over 1,000 years, if well cared for. In this vein, olives are like "memories" of these lands, in addition to its economic and nutritional contributions. 

The Article 9 of Law No. 3573 on "Olive Improvement" of Turkey states that olive groves are expected to have no more than 15 trees for each decare.

According to the law, establishing any industrial facility other than one for olive oil production is prohibited on olive production lands and on areas within 3 kilometer of those lands.

Amid heated debates at parliament by opposition parties and olive producers, the government late on May 31 withdrew a motion that called for the delisting of groves of one decare and those with fewer than 15 olive trees as "olive groves."

However, as the draft regulation still left out restrictions on industrial and mining facilities in such areas, the opposition parties...