Strategic Summit for the Future of Agriculture in Şanlıurfa

October 5, 2026 · AA Yeşil Hat

The summit in Şanlıurfa, held as part of TEKNOFEST Southeast, addressed the national defense dimension of food security, smart agriculture technologies, and youth farmer employment.

Representatives from the agriculture, academia, and finance sectors convened for a comprehensive meeting at the TEKNOFEST Southeast event hosted by Şanlıurfa GAP Airport. The 'Agriculture, Youth, and Technology' panel, organized by the Agriculture Technologies Cluster (TÜME) Foundation, was attended by high-level executives from public institutions and the financial sector. The panel included Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, General Manager of Ziraat Bank Alpaslan Çakar, and Chairman of the TÜME Board of Trustees Abdulkadir Karagöz. Throughout the summit, critical topics such as agricultural policies, sectoral adaptation in higher education, modern production techniques, and financing models were discussed in detail to chart a common roadmap.

During the panel session, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı emphasized the increasing strategic importance of food security in light of global developments, stating:

Minister Yumaklı highlighted the dynamics of population growth and urbanization, stating that qualified and planned production is a necessity to prevent disruptions in the food supply chain.

Indicating that production planning is beginning to be implemented on the ground, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following remarks regarding the integration of producers into the new system:

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the average age of the 2.38 million producers registered in the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS) in Turkey has been determined to be 57. Official records reveal that only 13% of the current registered producers are young farmers. While 58% of the producer profile in the sector belongs to the middle-aged group, the remaining portion falls into the older age category. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry aims to expand grant and subsidized credit support mechanisms for young and female producers to prevent demographic aging in rural areas.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated that technological advancements in agricultural production are not limited to machinery, adding the following regarding seed improvement and modern irrigation infrastructure:

Sharing the latest situation in organized agricultural regions, which are central to value-added and planned agricultural development, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı continued his speech:

Minister Yumaklı stated that the 61 organized agricultural regions planned across Turkey will contribute directly to supply security as they are gradually put into operation.

Evaluating the human resource dimension of agricultural development, YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar shared the following data on student capacity in agriculture and livestock programs in higher education:

YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar explained that agriculture and livestock education in the higher education system is being integrated with digital technologies, stating the following regarding the ongoing transformation program:

YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar stated that universities are taking steps towards field needs and that cooperation protocols have been signed with 10 universities:

Expressing his satisfaction with the interest shown by academic institutions in collaborations, YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar concluded his remarks:

Explaining the role of the banking sector in the sustainability and modernization of agricultural production models, Ziraat Bank General Manager Alpaslan Çakar emphasized the institution's expertise:

General Manager Alpaslan Çakar stated that the resources provided to producers will continue to increase in financing technology-oriented agricultural investments.

Türkçe