Olive

Thousands of olive trees in our country are at risk of being cut down because of a draft law submitted to parliament on May 17. 

There is a giant olive tree right at the roundabout leading to Yalıkavak approaching from Torba or Konacık in southwestern Turkey. I never passed it without saying, "Thanks for your presence." 

I can never go past an olive tree - actually all trees - without showing some respect in anyway. But olive trees are different. 

The oldest olive oil press in Anatolia has been discovered in the ancient city of Lyrboton Kome in Antalya, but archaeologists have expressed special excitement at revelations that many of the olive oil facilities and the town itself was founded by a woman.

The Ministry of Rural Development and Food presents the 7th annual Olive and Olive Oil Festival, featuring products from olive producers across Greece. Many different kinds of olives and olive oils, including medicinal olive oil for heart health, will be on display to taste and to buy.

"The Greeks are dying!" The post on Facebook was both striking and frightening. A good friend, a retired Greek ambassador with years of service in Turkey and now a member of a small, extra parliamentary Euroskeptic party, supported his gloomy proclamation with updated statistics. The number of deaths in Greece for January were double compared to same time last year, he wrote.

Ayvalık is a cute, historic coastal town on Turkey's Aegean coast, popular among those who want to escape the mega cities. The town is set to apply to enter UNESCO's World Heritage List because of its "industrial heritage."

The question was simple: "Just the season for (fill in the blank). Where to savor it best?" I was called by the Turkish edition of daily Hürriyet to take part in a survey of food writers to determine the much sought after tastes of fall. 

Olives have been harvested from an 800-year-old tree which was brought back to life in the Toroslar district of the southern province of Mersin after it had been cut down earlier. The tree was bought from a lumberman and replanted in the district 20 months ago, Doğan News Agency reported. 

Greek products such as olive oil and wine could have a significant presence in the electronic platform of Alibaba Group, the managing director of Alibaba for Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece said on Wednesday.

Two people were killed and three more were rushed to hospital Wednesday, after inhaling fumes and falling into an olive oil factory vat in the central Greek town of Almyro.

According to reports, the incident occurred when a 50-year-old Bulgarian worker fainted from inhaling oil reside fumes as he was cleaning the vat and fell in.