Kastamonu A team of 9 people from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, arrived in the İhsangazi district of Kastamonu to conduct studies on siyez, also known as “Hitite wheat,” which dates back 10,000 years.
The team examined the seeds of siyez wheat, registered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry under the names “Mergüze” and “Ata,” as well as the siyez ground in a stone mill. They also toured the siyez field.
After tasting products made from siyez, the team will initiate efforts to procure siyez from Turkey, having previously sourced it from European countries.
Meena Kadhimi from Kuwait stated that they are conducting serious studies on siyez and expressed their happiness at discovering İhsangazi. She said, “We are happy to be here and have studies related to siyez and other seeds. We are very pleased to have discovered this place.”
Kadhimi mentioned that as a result of their research, they determined that the original siyez is in Turkey, stating, “We used to source siyez from European countries. After discovering this place, we changed our minds. In the future, we have decided to procure it from the İhsangazi district of Kastamonu.”
Siyez producer Yasin Ciğerci stated that they promote siyez wheat all over Turkey and highlighted that they do not use pesticides or fertilizers when cultivating siyez. He said, “İhsangazi is the homeland of siyez. Today is a very important day for both İhsangazi and us. It will be a product that will contribute to our country’s economy.”
Mehmet Bayrak, the manager of a tourism company targeting the Middle East, explained that Meena Kadhimi reached out to them to conduct studies on siyez. He mentioned that they later contacted siyez producer Yasin Ciğerci. Bayrak said, “We will hopefully continue to bring our guests from the Middle East here. We will continue to promote siyez here. Our goal is to introduce every corner of our country. We have decided to conduct serious activities regarding siyez while conducting our research.”
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç