Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Turkey’s agricultural decline rings alarm bells

Turkey’s agricultural decline rings alarm bells

Mehmet Cetingulec May 28, 2018

ARTICLE SUMMARY
The Turkish government is under fire for mismanaging the agricultural sector, whose decline has sent food prices soaring and forced the importation of basic items such as wheat, beans, meat and even straw.
REUTERS/Murad SezerVillagers drive a tractor carrying olive tree branches near the border city of Kilis, Turkey, April 21, 2012.

White bean stew is as popular as kebab dishes in Turkey and is often seen as the national dish of the commoner. But as one Twitter user notes, the national dish has come to rely on imported ingredients. According to the Twitter account, the recipe now includes “two cups of white beans imported from Kyrgyzstan, 300 grams of red meat imported from France, Bosnia or Brazil, two onions imported from Iran, a green pepper imported from Turkish Cyprus, a tablespoon of tomato paste imported from Ukraine, salt and water. Serve with pilaf made of rice from Russia,” the writer said, while others chime in with reminders to “not forget to saute the onion with olive oil imported from Tunisia” and serve the dish with “German Kuhne pickles.”

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