Şemsi Bayraktar, President of TZOB, warned that natural disasters are damaging agricultural production and that the risk of drought is increasing. He announced that official requests have been submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance to compensate farmers for their losses and defer their loans interest-free.

Şemsi Bayraktar, President of the TZOB

Şemsi Bayraktar, President of the Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers (TZOB), highlighted the effects of natural disasters on agricultural production. Bayraktar noted that the impacts of the frost disaster at the end of February have begun to emerge, saying, “We have sent official letters to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, requesting that farmers' losses be compensated and their bank loans deferred without interest.”

According to Bayraktar, the number of natural disasters reached 1,257 in 2024, a nearly fourfold increase compared to 2011. He stressed that the biggest threat is drought, adding, “January 2025 saw the lowest rainfall in the past 24 years. January rainfall decreased by 62% compared to seasonal averages and by 69% compared to the same period last year.” He noted that rainfall in Southeastern Anatolia fell by 94%, in Eastern Anatolia by 88%, and in the Mediterranean region by 76%.

Bayraktar also pointed to significant damages from the frost disaster, especially in Adana, Mersin, and Hatay, where fruit production was severely affected. He warned that if spring rains remain insufficient, agricultural drought could become inevitable.