At a special lecture titled “Digital Homeland, Green Homeland and the Fight Against Disinformation” at Ankara Social Sciences University, Yumaklı assessed work in the fields of agriculture, forestry and food security.
Yumaklı said the ministry’s responsibilities directly affect people’s lives and shared data on Türkiye’s agricultural output. He said agricultural output had risen from $24.5 billion in 2002 to $83.2 billion according to 2025 data, while Türkiye had climbed from 12th to seventh in the global ranking.
Türkiye ranks first in Europe
Yumaklı said Türkiye had risen to first place in Europe in terms of agricultural output. He argued that claims that agriculture had come to an end in Türkiye or that all basic food products were imported were inaccurate.
Yumaklı said Türkiye had 206 economically viable plant products and that the country was self-sufficient in a significant portion of them. He noted that it was not possible to produce every product in the world in Türkiye, but said the country had achieved self-sufficiency in most basic necessities and strategic products.
More than 120,000 kilometers invested in irrigation infrastructure
Yumaklı announced that the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works had invested in more than 120,000 kilometers of irrigation infrastructure since 2002. He said this length was equivalent to circling the world three times and emphasized that irrigation infrastructure was essential for food production.
Five hundred million seeds and saplings planted every year
Yumaklı said the General Directorate of Forestry planted 500 million seeds and saplings every year to protect green areas, adding that Türkiye ranked first in Europe in afforestation.
Yumaklı said 14 million seeds and saplings had been planted in a single day on November 11, 2025. Rejecting claims that areas burned in forest fires were being used to build hotels, Yumaklı asked that examples supporting those claims be provided.
Fires tackled with aircraft
Yumaklı announced that 28 aircraft and 119 helicopters were involved in fighting forest fires. He said Türkiye was monitored from end to end using 14 unmanned aerial vehicles and that there were approximately 800 fire lookout towers across the country.
Yumaklı said 194 of these towers were smart towers sensitive to smoke and heat, drawing attention to the infrastructure used for the early detection of fires.
Food inspections to be increased
Yumaklı announced that an average of 1.3 million food inspections were conducted in the country each year and that the number was expected to increase. He said ensuring that safe food reaches consumers was a shared responsibility and that people who encountered the sale, production or serving of problematic food could file a notification.
Yumaklı said consumers could scan the barcodes displayed at food establishments with their phones to see when the establishment was last inspected, adding that consumers could make use of this application.
