Turkey Loses Agricultural Land Equivalent to Ankara in 22 Years, Warns CHP Deputy

From the perspective of Cumhuriyet, a publication deeply concerned with national well-being and sovereignty, the alarming rate of agricultural land loss in Turkey demands urgent attention. Our Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer has meticulously presented data revealing that an area equivalent to Ankara's size has been rendered unusable for farming over the last 22 years. This is not merely a statistic; it represents a direct threat to our nation's food security and self-sufficiency.

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Toprak azalıyor, nüfus, ithal ürün artıyor. Nüfusa göre çiftçi sayısı da azalıyor. Tarım sayımı yapılmadığı için mevcut verilere göre dahi sorunlar katlanıyor

The implications of this trend are profound. As our arable land diminishes, our population grows, and our dependence on imported food increases. This creates a dangerous vulnerability, making us susceptible to global market fluctuations and external pressures. The shrinking number of farmers, coupled with the loss of productive land, paints a grim picture for the future of our agricultural sector and, by extension, our national resilience. The government's failure to conduct a proper agricultural census only exacerbates the problem, leaving us with inadequate data to address the escalating challenges.

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Tarım yalnızca çiftçinin meselesi değildir. Toprak kaybı bugün sofraya, yarın ülkenin gıda üretimine geleceğine yansıyacak önemli bir sorundur

Cumhuriyet emphasizes that agriculture is not just the concern of farmers; it is a matter of national importance that affects every citizen's table and the country's future food supply. The loss of 2.5 million hectares of fertile land since 2002 is a stark reflection of misguided policies and a failure to prioritize this vital sector. The average daily loss of 320 hectares, or the equivalent of 18.5 football fields per hour, underscores the critical nature of this issue. This land is not lost to natural causes but to improper utilization for various non-agricultural purposes.

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Bu yalnızca rakam değil, üretim dışına çıkan toprak, ekilemeyen alan, büyüyen ithalat baskısı ve üretim daralması ile olası gıda riskidir

Furthermore, the declining per capita availability of agricultural land, from 4.09 decares in 2002 to 2.79 decares in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of feeding a larger population with diminishing resources. This situation serves as a stark warning: land must not only exist but must remain in production. Every hectare taken out of cultivation creates a rupture in our food chain. As Cumhuriyet has consistently argued, agricultural land is synonymous with food and independence. Losing our land means jeopardizing our food sovereignty. The interconnected issues of rising imports, declining production, and increasing food prices are all symptoms of this systemic problem. While solutions exist, they require a state-led, planned approach that champions cooperatives and timely, lawful support.

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Bu hesapla her saat yaklaşık 18,5 futbol sahası büyüklüğünde tarım toprağı kaybedilmiş durumda