Politics
Turkey sees wine boom, despite government restrictions and tax hikes
In Turkey, hundreds of new producers are growing the country's wine industry and its international reputation, despite increasing taxes and controls by President Erdogan's religious and conservative government.
Grapes have been cultivated for centuries in Manisa, western Turkey. It was here that Fulya Akinci and her Spanish husband, José Hernandez Gonzalez, decided to participate in the transformation of the country's wine industry.
“In 2005, in 2006, maybe when you went to a restaurant, you ordered red wine or white wine, that was it,” Akinci says. “Over the last 15 years there has been a real boom. We have so many, let's say, boutique vineyards. Today, with these small vineyards, the quality has changed a lot.”
With their wine label HeraklionAkinci and Hernandez Gonzalez are part of this wave of new small producers, a group that now numbers about 200 people, up from just a handful a decade ago. The couple trained at a wine school in Bordeaux and worked in vineyards around the world. Hernandez Gonzalez said it was Turkey's untapped potential that persuaded him and Akinci to produce their own wine there.
“As a foreigner, when I arrived in Türkiye, I was really surprised by the biodiversity of the different grape varieties,” he said. “It’s a country with many different grape varieties. [there was] the potential of soils and climate. We have mountains, we have coasts and many different climates to make grapes. And the potential of these grapes for making wine is enormous. »
France asks EU for help to destroy 'unprofitable' Bordeaux vines
Government restrictions
Hernandez Gonzales explained that instead of producing wine from vines used around the world, they decided to use native grapes. “One of our main ideas here in Heraki was to produce wines from these local grapes.”
In five years, their production increased from a few thousand to 20,000 bottles. But the couple say it has been an uphill struggle. “We have some difficulties because of bureaucracy, paperwork and tax pressures… so huge pressures on us. It's not easy at all,” Akinci explained.
Erdogan's Justice and Development (AK) Party, which enjoys wide support among Muslims, has, since coming to power in 2002, increased taxes on alcohol to 65 percent, among highest in the world. There are also increasing restrictions on the production, sale and advertising of wine. “We love making wine, but it's not easy at all. It's difficult, and every day it gets worse and worse,” Akinci said.
Turkish broadcasting authoritiesprohibited images of alcohol on televisionin 2013, and in much of the country, it is difficult to obtain alcohol licenses.
Turkish radio ban is latest attack on press freedom, activists warn
But in the meantime, government advertisements promoting Turkey as a tourist destination abroad often highlight the country's wines as an attraction. With much of the wine industry based in tourist centers, experts say tourists help drive demand and increase the reputation of Turkish wines.
International interest
“Wine producers have started to get better prices for their wines. They can now make money, against all odds. There is international interest,” said wine consultant Sabiha Apaydn Gonenli. Through its Kok Koken Toprak Conference (Root Soil Wine Conference) international symposia, it promotes the Turkish wine industry internationally.
However, she cautions that the industry still has a long way to go. “It's not economically viable at the moment because it's very small. To market this, you need support. We can't do it alone, wine producers need to come together.”
Police dismantle Franco-Italian wine fraud network
As for Heraki wines, they are now stocked in a large European restaurant and have found a German distributor. But despite these successes, Akinci says winemaking in Türkiye remains a bittersweet experience.
“One day we're so happy making wine here and we're thinking about increasing the volume and doing something else. Then another day we're thinking about closing our doors and moving to Spain.”
|
Sources 2/ https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/international-report/20241123-turkey-witnesses-wine-boom-despite-government-restrictions-and-tax-hikes The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]
 |
 |
 |
