In 2025, Turkey faces a burgeoning crisis in its agricultural sector as rising debt levels lead to the aggressive seizure of assets belonging to farmers. As outlined by Ömer Fethi Gürer, a representative from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and member of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Affairs, the industry is grappling with its highest recorded debt totals. Enforcement actions have surged sharply, with millions of cases threatening the livelihoods of farmers across the country, illustrating a significant deterioration in rural economic stability.
| Article Subheadings |
|---|
| 1) Significant Rise in Agricultural Debt |
| 2) The Consequences of Debt Enforcement |
| 3) Appeals for Government Support |
| 4) Legal Concerns and Rights of Farmers |
| 5) The Broader Agricultural Crisis |
Significant Rise in Agricultural Debt
The agricultural sector in Turkey has entered an alarming chapter, as the total debt has swelled to approximately 935.9 billion liras (equivalent to around 250 million US dollars). This figure, emphasized by Gürer, marks a historical peak in the economic burdens faced by farmers. The escalating debts translate to over 2.68 million enforcement files opened in just the first three months of 2025. This indicates a significant uptick in the number of farmers struggling under the weight of financial obligations.
With the growing crisis, the plight of farmers is starkly highlighted against the backdrop of changing demographics in agricultural communities. The registered number of farmers in Turkey has dropped to approximately 2.1 million, reflecting a concerning trend of rural depopulation. Gürer attributes the increasing debt crisis in agriculture directly to ineffective governmental fiscal policies and a lack of support for those in the farming sector.
The Consequences of Debt Enforcement
As farmers grapple with soaring debts, they face increasingly severe consequences, including asset seizures that threaten the very foundation of their livelihoods. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, bailiff offices reported the listing of assets for sale, including 111 tractors and nearly 3,000 plots of land. Further complicating this already dire situation is the chilling trend of livestock being sold to settle debts, a situation so dire that it includes civil cases of livestock being auctioned, as noted in Tekirdağ.
A particular case that has drawn attention involves the auction of livestock, where goats and their young offspring were put forward for sale due to unpaid debts. The Çerkezköy Bailiff Office announced the auction process for 33 Maltese hybrid nanny goats and 30 kids, scheduled to begin on April 9 and conclude on April 16. This action demonstrates the magnified pressures faced by farmers, driven by a system where even livestock, which are lifelines for many, are not exempt from seizure.
Appeals for Government Support
Against this challenging backdrop, Gürer strongly advocates for the government to step in and provide substantial support to the agricultural industry, emphasizing its strategic importance to national food security. “When citizens can’t pay their debts, whatever they have left is being taken away,”
“Farmers’ tractors, land, and livestock should not be subject to seizure,”
asserted Gürer. He highlights that the loss of productive assets threatens not just individual farmers, but the agricultural stability of the nation as a whole.
He elaborates that misguided agricultural policies are detrimental when addressing rural depopulation—many young people are increasingly shunning farming due to the exodus from primary industries, driving a further wedge into an already beleaguered sector. The uptake of middlemen in the distribution of goods has created additional obstacles for farmers striving for economic sustainability.
Legal Concerns and Rights of Farmers
Legal representation of the farmers’ plight has surfaced as significant voices like Gürer point to violations of existing laws designed to protect farmers from asset seizures. He argues that the ongoing livestock seizures are illegal under Turkey’s Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law, specifically citing Article 82, which is meant to safeguard land, work animals, and necessary equipment vital for their livelihoods.
Despite these legal protections, many farmers find themselves increasingly vulnerable, unable to work adequately due to soaring operational costs that continue to outstrip their revenue. Familiar stories of farmers vacating their farms, stripped of resources, have become shockingly commonplace, underscoring the dire need for both legal support and effective governmental intervention.
The Broader Agricultural Crisis
The crisis in the agricultural sector is symptomatic of broader economic distress. Gürer articulates this reality by lamenting that many family-run farms are becoming deserted, with even basic livestock being seized. He notes ominous trends in livestock farming, highlighting that issues related to barn maintenance, feed and medical care costs, coupled with the sluggish market conditions, make sustainable farming increasingly elusive.
The current state of financial imbalance continues to exacerbate these challenges. While farmers work tirelessly, they often do so at the behest of middlemen, with the profits insufficient to cover their debts.
“Income and expenses need to be balanced for farming to be viable, without that balance, debt keeps growing and enforcement officers show up at the door,”
said Gürer. The cumulative distress casts a long shadow on the future of Turkish agriculture.
| No. | Key Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | Total agricultural debts in Turkey surged to 935.9 billion liras in 2025. |
| 2 | Over 2.68 million debt enforcement files were opened in early 2025. |
| 3 | Seizures include tractors, land, and livestock, severely impacting farmers’ livelihoods. |
| 4 | Advocates urge government support for the agricultural sector to prevent further asset seizures. |
| 5 | Legal protections for farmers against asset seizures are not being upheld effectively. |
Summary
The intensifying agricultural debt crisis in Turkey highlights critical vulnerabilities within the sector, driven by ineffective policies and lack of support from the government. As farmers face rising costs and increasing asset seizures, the repercussions threaten not only their livelihoods but also national food security. The discussion initiated by Gürer sheds light on urgent calls for governmental intervention and the reinforcement of legal protections designed to uphold farmers’ rights. This critical juncture for Turkish agriculture requires immediate and sustainable solutions to avert a full-scale crisis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What are the current levels of agricultural debt in Turkey?
As of 2025, Turkey’s agricultural sector is facing unprecedented debt levels, amounting to approximately 935.9 billion liras.
Question: What actions are being taken against farmers with unpaid debts?
Farmers are facing asset seizures, including tractors, plots of land, and livestock, as a consequence of non-payment of debts, with bailiff offices actively enforcing these actions.
Question: What are farmers and advocates calling for?
There is a growing appeal for the government to provide more substantial support to the agricultural sector, emphasizing the need to protect farmers’ rights and livelihoods in light of the ongoing crisis.
