Interest in Olive Growing Continues in Turkey
For years Turkey has been planting olives at pace — tens of millions of new trees, a swelling tree count, and ambitions to rank among the very top producers. It is one of the most important shifts in the olive world, and it barely makes headlines.
Turkey rarely gets the romance that Italy, Greece and Spain enjoy, yet it is one of the great olive nations — and it has been expanding hard. Rising oil prices, farmers switching out of other crops, and public incentives have driven waves of new planting, with saplings ordered in the tens of millions in a single season. The stated ambition has long been to climb toward the top of the world rankings.
Where the olives grow
The heartland is the Aegean coast around Izmir, Ayvalik and Manisa, where the climate is textbook Mediterranean and the culture of the olive runs deep. Groves also line the southern Mediterranean coast toward Antalya, and cultivation reaches into the southeast. Turkey grows both for oil and for the table — its brined black and green olives are a breakfast staple at home and a significant export.
What is driving the boom
Three forces line up. Higher olive-oil prices made planting attractive; incentives and shifting policy nudged growers out of other crops; and investors from outside farming — construction, textiles — moved into olives as a long-term asset. New trees take years to bear well, so a planting wave is a bet on the next decade, not the next season. That patience is the nature of the crop.
What it means for buyers
More Turkish supply reshapes the market quietly. A good deal of Turkish fruit and oil is exported in bulk and blended or bottled elsewhere, which is a reminder that where an oil is bottled is not where it grew. Turkish estate oils, bought named and fresh, can be excellent value — grassy, robust, and often cheaper than fashionable origins. It is a country worth knowing before its labels catch up with its output.
| Region heartland | Aegean coast (Izmir, Ayvalik, Manisa) |
|---|---|
| Also grown | Southern Mediterranean coast; southeast |
| Output | Both olive oil and table olives |
| Harvest | Autumn into early winter |
| Driver | High prices, incentives, outside investment |
| Market role | Major producer; much exported in bulk |
| Buyer tip | Seek named, fresh Turkish estate oils |
- A top-tier producer that gets little of the romance — and often better prices.
- Aegean heartland, autumn harvest, both oil and table olives.
- Much is exported in bulk — the bottling country may not be Turkey.
- Buy named and fresh for robust, grassy value.
Olive growing in Turkey: common questions
Is Turkey a major olive producer?
Yes — one of the largest in the world, for both olive oil and table olives, and it has been expanding its tree count for years.
Where are Turkey’s olives grown?
Mainly along the Aegean coast around Izmir, Ayvalik and Manisa, with more groves on the southern Mediterranean coast and into the southeast.
Why is Turkey planting so many olive trees?
Higher olive-oil prices, government incentives and investment from outside agriculture have driven big planting waves, with saplings ordered in the tens of millions in a season.
Is Turkish olive oil good?
It can be excellent — often robust and grassy, and frequently better value than more fashionable origins. Buy it named and fresh to taste it at its best.
Does Turkish oil get sold under other countries’ labels?
Often, yes. A lot of Turkish oil is exported in bulk and blended or bottled elsewhere, so the bottling country is not always where the fruit grew.
In the trade, Turkey was always the quiet giant — huge volumes moving in bulk, often disappearing into other countries’ blends. Buyers chase the famous names and miss that some of the honest, grassy value on the shelf started life on the Aegean. Learn the origin, not just the flag on the front.
Drawn from public reporting on Turkey’s olive sector and general market knowledge.