Olive

Turkey's Council of State suspended Nov. 7 a controversial project to build a coal plant in a western town, hours after thousands of trees in the area were rooted out by the energy firm amid locals' resistance.

The private security of an energy company constructing a controversial coal plant on olive groves in the western Turkish locality of Soma beat a villager late Nov. 6 before proceeding to cut down more than 5,000 trees in the area amid locals’ resistance.

Local olive oil producers set to cooperate with global groups to work together to promote olive oil consumption and to resolve the common problems of the sector players Facing common challenges, Turkish olive oil producers have decided to join hands with international networks.

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.

Turkey’s Council of State ordered a stay of execution Oct. 28 for a controversial bill that opened olive groves across the country for the construction of energy facilities, amid disputes between local producers and energy firms looking to open new plants.

Energy Minister Taner Yıldız has defended the controversial razing of an olive grove for the construction of a coal plant in the mining town of Soma, arguing that “100-200 trees shouldn’t stop Turkey’s development.”

A group of villagers near Soma were beaten by the private security guards of an energy company firm building a new coal plant in an area that has been used as an olive plantation

Turkey needs both a domestic and international strategy to market its rapidly growing olive oil output, according to Cahit Çetin, head of Tariş, one of the two leading olive and olive oil unions

Villagers in the Aegean town of Soma are keeping guard at their olive groves following a code that has opened such fields to the construction of power plants.

Olive groves at the disaster-struck town in western Turkey were surrounded by a wire fence to make way for the construction of a third thermic plant