Orhan Sarıbal reports massive increase in Turkish farmers' debt

Orhan Sarıbal, Deputy Chairman of the CHP and Bursa Deputy, has raised alarms regarding the escalating debt levels of Turkish farmers. During a press conference in Ankara, Sarıbal stated that agricultural credit debt to banks has reached 1.459 trillion TL as of June 2026.

Sarıbal highlighted a massive increase in debt compared to previous years, noting that debt has grown 607 times since 2002. He specifically pointed out that while agricultural support has increased from 3.1 billion TL in 2004 to 167.6 billion TL, the gap between debt and support has widened significantly. In 2004, the ratio of debt to support was 1.7 times, whereas it has now risen to 8.7 times.

Criticizing current government policies for prioritizing imports over domestic production, Sarıbal argued that these trends impoverish both producers and consumers. He called for public support to relieve farmers of interest burdens and urged for a shift away from contract-based and import-oriented agriculture to protect the livelihoods of producers.