Ministry of Industry and Technology General Directorate of Development Agencies, within the scope of the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP) carried out by the Western Mediterranean Development Agency with the support of Burdur Special Provincial Administration, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ), Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and Burdur Breeding Sheep and Goat Breeders' Association, the promotional meeting of "Burdur Goat Tulum Cheese" produced within the scope of the "Burdur Small Ruminant Milk Collection Network Project" was held.
The meeting held at Lavanta Tepesi Hotel
started with a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem. The meeting continued with a folk dance performance named Yörük Caravan prepared by the MAKÜ Turkish Music State Conservatory Turkish Folk
Dance Department.
Burdur
Governor Ali Arslantaş, Mayor Ali Orkun Ercengiz, Rector Prof. Dr.
Adem Korkmaz, Bar Association President Ramazan Gedik, General Secretary of the Special Provincial Administration Asım
Ertilav, General Secretary of the Western Mediterranean Development Agency Volkan Güler, Burdur
Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Mehmet Tuğrul, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Durmuş
Acar, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karaca, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar, Protocol Members,
Political Party Representatives, Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations,
academicians, sector representatives, goat breeders, experts working in the milk and dairy products
sector and members of the press attended the promotional meeting.
At the meeting, which continued with the screening of the Burdur Small Ruminant Milk Collection Network SOGEP Project Promotional Film prepared by the MAKÜ Corporate Communication Center, the features and
production stages of Burdur Goat Tulum Cheese were explained by Dr. Öğr. Üyesi İlhan Gün, Director of the MAKÜ Dairy Products and Technologies Application and Research
Center, and Assistant Director Öğr. Gör. Aslı
Albayrak Karaoğlu.
After the presentations, Burdur Provincial Director of
Agriculture and Forestry Mehmet Tuğrul, General Secretary of the Western Mediterranean Development Agency
Volkan Güler and General Secretary of the Special Provincial Administration Asım Ertilav each gave a speech.
Then, Rector Prof. Dr. Adem Korkmaz also gave a speech. In his speech, Rector Korkmaz included the following statements: “What we call development is a very complex, very dynamic and multi-dimensional process. The biggest story of countries and cities that show development all over the world is to mobilize their internal potentials. If we, as Burdur, are to reveal a development dynamic, there are dozens of examples that show that the development and dynamics we derive from our own culture, history, economic potential, and nature will be much more successful. We can see the mind of a city here today. It is our duty to act by making qualified focuses on these potentials. We need to fulfill this responsibility. This project essentially presents a story here. Yes, a story, Burdur tulum cheese is a story. But I want to express that we need dozens, hundreds of these stories, and the formula for this is to produce common sense. When we produce a common mind that brings together state institutions, non-governmental organizations, producer unions, and sector representatives, we can clearly observe social and economic development in agriculture and animal husbandry, added value, decreased migration, increased production and welfare, and decreased population mobility for social reasons. Therefore, this project has such a symbolic meaning. You need to enter the dairy products market as well. We also held a common mind workshop on this subject. Again, our valuable representatives here presented their ideas at this workshop. In the framework we presented in the main report results of that workshop, there was goat tulum cheese. We, as a university, fulfill our responsibility in producing common minds. We established the Dairy Technologies Research Center and created a serious infrastructure for adding value to Burdur's dairy products. We often talk about the concept of sustainability. This is indeed a very important concept. The critical time for the sustainability of the goat tulum cheese story is just beginning. As MAKÜ Farm, we are bringing this product to the market. As far as I know, there is no goat tulum cheese presented as a strong brand in Turkey. There are products in mixed forms such as goat-sheep or goat-cow. This is what we are working on. I thank our local partners and everyone who contributed.”
Mayor Ali Orkun
Ercengiz, in his speech, said, “Today, we are rightfully proud of signing a very important project. I believe that the understanding that we can develop the productivity and living conditions that nature will provide us as long as we do not defy nature passes through these projects. We must establish the balance between large and small livestock. We must develop the small livestock, which is a product of the Yörük culture. We can achieve a better position in the cheese market. We must look at the items in which we have a say in the world market. We can sustain our existence by achieving and maintaining a certain standard of products. We also think that it is important to name the Burdur goat
cheese, which we are promoting today. We must find a way to reach more people with this cheese. We have gourmets here. I find today's promotion important for valuing and branding sheep, goats, and their products. I thank everyone who contributed.”
Finally, Governor Ali Arslantaş also
gave a speech. In his speech, Governor Arslantaş said; “While watching the video about the production of Burdur goat tulum
cheese a moment ago, I checked the list in my mind as our valuable academicians provided Know-How information about cheese production with popular discourse, and I was convinced that the first steps of the list were perfectly completed. The perseverance in implementing the decisions taken at the workshop held in 2021, the belief and determination in achieving the target gains, the information provided to the producers, the necessary grant support, the achievement of a product with a unique taste that distinguishes it from its counterparts as a result of a laborious production process, and achieving a taste standard are not insignificant successes. The credit for this success belongs to all stakeholders involved in the project. The promotion of this product starts with including our tulum cheese, packaged with Burdur alaca, on our tables. It ends with inviting our neighbor to a breakfast table, putting a piece of fried yufka, butter, and tulum cheese inside, sprinkling a bit of mountain thyme on top, and offering it with a glass of strong tea. I believe that the taste of the product will advertise itself and that this exquisite taste will soon become a value belonging to our city.”
After the speeches, the tasting of Burdur Goat
Tulum Cheese was held. Kars
Koçulu Cheese official İlhan Koçulu, Erzincan Efendigil Cheese
official Süleyman Yıldırım, Çorum Kargı Döğen Trade official Mustafa Döğen,
Metro Gastro Magazine Editor Nilhan Aras, İzmir Sidas Media Şakir Sarıçay,
Kristal Hotels Kitchen Coordinator Yusuf Ziya Yılmaz, İzmir Sancak Dairy
Products official Halim Ezgi, Ezine Cheese Makers Association President Ali Atak and
all participants shared their opinions after the cheese tasting.
The program ended with the presentation of gifts and photo shooting.
