Olive growing in the Akdeniz region

Olives are grown in Antalya, Isparta, Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş and Karaman. In a region dominated by vegetables and citrus, the olive has never been the primary crop — though new plantings in recent years show it spreading.

The plantations occupy the narrow strip between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean. In Mersin, the coastal plains of Erdemli and Silifke are among the densest olive areas.

In the Mediterranean the olive lives in the shadow of vegetables and citrus — it has never been the primary crop. Yet its 15% share of area produces 23% of output: more crop per unit of land than the Aegean.

Production is concentrated in the narrow strip between the Taurus Mountains and the sea. Mersin is the largest producer, with the coastal plains of Erdemli and Silifke the densest areas, followed by Hatay, Adana and Osmaniye.

The region is varietally distinctive: Sarı Ulak, Saurani and Sarı Haşebi are found here and largely nowhere else. New plantings in recent years show the olive spreading in the region.