Turkey to lease uncultivated agricultural lands

The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is implementing a process to lease agricultural lands that have remained uncultivated for two consecutive years. The initiative aims to reintegrate these lands into agricultural production to strengthen food supply security and utilize the country's production potential.

Under the Law on Soil Protection and Land Use, lands identified by local Land Identification Commissions as uncultivated for two years will be leased seasonally. The rental payments will be made to the original landowners. The identification process for the 2026 production year has been completed, and the announcement process for eligible lands began on September 1.

Once the announcement and local administrative approvals are finalized, the leasing process will be managed by Provincial Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry based on incoming requests. Rental prices will be determined by commissions and cannot be lower than the market value, which is calculated using at least three comparable local land examples.