Fresh Fruit Operation Made a Response in Mersin Agriculture

September 23, 2026 · Tarım Dünyası

Within the scope of the judicial investigation carried out in Mersin, one of Türkiye's fresh fruit and vegetable trade centers, it was decided to detain MTSO Chairman Hakan Sefa Çakır.

There are important developments within the scope of the judicial operation carried out against the sector in Mersin, one of Türkiye's most important fresh fruit and vegetable trade centers. Hakan Sefa Çakır, Chairman of the Board of Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was among the names detained within the scope of the operation. The decision to detain Çakır in detention has had a wide impact in the agricultural production, trade and export community in the region and has become a critical agenda item that sector representatives follow carefully.

Hakan Sefa Çakır, one of the prominent names when it comes to agriculture, fresh fruits and vegetables and economy in Mersin, has been taking active roles in corporate structures for many years. Çakır, who first stepped into the Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry Assembly in 2005, served as vice chairman of the board of directors in the 2018-2022 period. He currently continues his duties as Chairman of the Board of Directors of MTSO, Chairman of the Board of Mersin Agropark and Member of the Board of Directors of the National Citrus Council.

Hakan Sefa Çakır, who has been a member of the board of directors of the Mediterranean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association for many years, is the head of Eren Tarım Ürünleri ve Situr A.Ş. It carries out fresh fruit and vegetable trade under its roof. Operating in the Çukurova region, which has a locomotive role in Türkiye's fresh fruit exports, Çakır manages an effective commercial network in the sector, both in finding value in the products of local producers and in shipping the products to international markets.

When the 'National Unity Project in Agriculture' prepared by the then Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Bekir Pakdemirli, came to the fore about seven years ago, Çakır took an important initiative. When the draft envisaging the closure of the provincial organization of the Ministry of Agriculture and the establishment of Semerat Holding instead was leaked to the public, Çakır called for the establishment of an alternative model in line with national and local realities and advocated the development of producer-oriented policies instead of the holding model.

With the initiative of Hakan Sefa Çakır, 'If We Do Not Produce, We Will Exhaust / Turkey Agricultural Policies and Future Conference' was held on September 28, 2019, in cooperation with MTSO, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, Mediterranean Exporters Association, Chamber of Agricultural Engineers and Chamber of Agriculture. Hakan Sefa Çakır, Vice President of MTSO at the time, expressed the reason for the conference with the following words:

Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, attended this comprehensive agricultural summit with the board of directors and emphasized the strategic importance of food and agriculture. Names such as Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer, then MTSO President Ayhan Kızıltan, Mediterranean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association President Nejdat Sin, then Governor Ali İhsan Su, former İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu, Tire Milk Cooperative President Mahmut Eskiyörük and TÜRKTOB President Savaş Akcan presented statements.

The chain of agricultural meetings in the region continued in the following years, and a new meeting titled 'If We Do Not Produce, We Will Exhaust / The Future of Agriculture on the Verge of Geopolitical Breaks' was held on April 18, 2026. Hakan Sefa Çakır's vision was directly effective in the process of putting Mersin Agropark into operation and supporting high-tech, efficient production models in regional agriculture, and institutional steps were taken to enable producers to obtain value-added products.

Hakan Sefa Çakır, who made a written statement to the public after the arrest decision, clearly stated his belief in justice. MTSO Chairman of the Board of Directors Hakan Sefa Çakır noted the following regarding the legal process in his statement:

In his statement, Çakır also pointed out that the institutional structure of the chamber should be preserved and emphasized that Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has a history of 140 years, is the common value of the city. Stating that he has no business for which he cannot be held accountable before the law and conscience, Çakır stated that all members should unite around the common interests of the city and that he will continue to serve Mersin's economy and producers once justice is served.

Following the developments, messages of support came from the business world and agricultural community in the region, especially former MTSO President Ayhan Kızıltan. Former MTSO Chairman of the Board of Directors Ayhan Kızıltan used the following statements in his evaluation:

Many producers and industry stakeholders conveyed messages of solidarity for Çakır, who continues a half-century-old family tradition of fresh vegetables and fruits in Mersin and trades directly with farmers. While the legal process is expected to be completed fairly and quickly in order to avoid disruption of the agricultural production chain and damage to citrus and fresh fruit exports, farmers and exporters in the region are closely following the effects of the process on Mersin agricultural trade.

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