The International Urla Artichoke Festival has begun

The 10th International Urla Artichoke Festival has begun, welcoming its guests. Speaking at the procession and official ceremony, Mayor Selçuk Balkan of Urla said, 'This festival is a Urla story. Our farmers and chefs wrote this story.'

The 10th edition of the International Urla Artichoke Festival commenced with a procession and opening ceremony, hosting visitors. The festival, filled with colorful and lively programs, will continue for three days, concluding on Sunday. On the first day of the festival, a procession was held from Urla Gendarmerie Junction to Cumhuriyet Square, attended by Cemil Tugay, Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Deniz Yücel and Gülşah Deniz Atalar, Deputy Chairpersons of CHP, Selçuk Balkan, Mayor of Urla, Mustafa Gözlet, Governor of Urla, MPs, political party representatives, NGO representatives, chamber presidents, farmers, and numerous citizens.

A large procession marched from Urla Gendarmerie Junction to Cumhuriyet Square, passing by the municipal building, where the group greeted the farmers, producers, and NGOs participating in the procession. Following the procession, the official opening ceremony commenced. Speaking at the opening of the festival, Mayor Selçuk Balkan emphasized that the festival is the result of the efforts of all Urla residents, stating, 'Today, we are excited to rewrite the story of artichokes, stronger and more delicious than ever. This festival is a Urla story, written by our farmers and chefs. Here, you will taste the products harvested with the sweat of Ahmet and Fatma. You will encounter various flavors. More than 100 artichoke producers will welcome you at their stands during this festival. A total of 1,900 tons of artichokes are produced in Urla.'

"We want our land to remain with the producers."

Emphasizing that the fundamental aim of the festival is development in production, Balkan stated, "This festival is our heritage from our ancestors. We should know that the main purpose is to bring a smile to the faces of our traders who strive to balance their income and expenses. We should know that the true purpose of this festival is for our producers, who toil for the education of their children. We should know that the true purpose of this festival is for you, who will bring healthy products directly from the soil to your table. These fertile lands have been bestowing upon us unique agricultural products specific to the peninsula for centuries. Our artichokes, red okras, watermelons, strawberries, asparagus, grapes, herbs, and date olives, and much more, this geography is very generous to us. Our duty is to protect this geography and our agricultural lands for future generations. We want our land to remain with the producers. Protecting our agricultural lands, developing sustainable rural development policies, and expanding our market share are among our greatest goals. Our aim is to grow products with high added value market shares. Our aim is to write new stories like the artichoke. It is our obligation to revive the economy of our farmers who have become disillusioned with their land due to incorrect agricultural policies. Supporting our cooperatives by following the path of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who said 'National development begins locally,' is our obligation. While the policy that will develop our country is clear, which is a production policy, we will cultivate our products instead of importing them."

"I congratulate Mayor Selçuk."

Mayor Cemil Tugay of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality began his speech by highlighting the fact that Urla had been taken over from the trustee. He said: "A short while ago, we took on the responsibility of serving our İzmir, and one of our most important goals in doing so was to make our city a city of democracy. Just as the resilience of buildings to earthquakes depends on being built on a solid foundation, our path as municipalities depends on the foundation of democracy. I congratulate Mayor Selçuk. As the Metropolitan Municipality, along with all our employees, we will continue to stand by all the districts of İzmir."

"Urla will continue to thrive through solidarity."

President Tugay also addressed the contribution of the festival to the economy of Urla, stating, "When we undertook to serve our beautiful İzmir, one of our fundamental goals was to make İzmir an exemplary city in terms of development. We can achieve this goal with its cultural, social, security, and economic dimensions as a whole. When we look at Urla, we see the following: our farmers are now struggling to cultivate their land due to the wrong policies implemented for many years. Even our most basic foods are being imported. But despite these challenging conditions, the International Urla Artichoke Festival is now 10 years old. They are producing. Those products are turning into incredible flavors in capable hands. The festival increases the recognition of Urla on an international scale. The tourism volume of our city is increasing, and so is the sales capacity. The faces of our local traders are smiling. Urla will continue to develop in solidarity. It will be one of the leading districts of İzmir in rising. We know our problems. We are working for Urla, the shining star of İzmir. We are determined to complete every unfinished task until now."

Urla Chamber of Agriculture President Muharrem Uslucan also noted that farmers who continue to produce despite challenging economic conditions contribute to increasing hope in the country.