Turkey black rose producers chase sweet smell of success

To the naked eye, the delicate velvet roses in southeastern Turkey appear black and overwhelm the senses with their irresistible sweet smell.

The rosebuds are just as dark, and when fully developed, the flower takes on the colour of an intensely rich red wine.

These black roses, known as "Kara gül" in Turkish and thornier than others, can only grow in the province of Şanlıurfa's Halfeti district with soil that has distinctive features including a special PH level. The unique colour cannot be preserved elsewhere, experts say.

Now Halfeti's residents want to transform the rose into a brand since Turkey's rose sector is a blooming business.

The industry is currently dominated by the western province of Isparta, known as Turkey's "rose garden."

Today, Turkey and Bulgaria make up around 80 percent of the world's rose oil production. But Halfeti resident Devrim

Tutuş, 28, has already seen business flourish. After coming up with a business plan to promote the black roses, he now supplies Istanbul with petals for colognes, Turkish delight and ice cream. Demand is already outgrowing supply.

That doesn't stop Tutuş who already has his next plan: "Kara gül" wine.

"There's a huge market out there in Istanbul. It's all about Isparta roses. Why not the same here?" he said.

The black rose's fortunes were not always so sweet.It once aroused only indifference among residents, said a local official in charge of preserving the roses. "They were everywhere in the gardens but nobody paid attention," said his friend who only gave his name as Bülent.

"Locals had no idea the roses were unique. We transported some to higher ground and started production in greenhouses," said the official, who did not wish to be named....