The promotional meeting of the "Burdur Goat Tulum Cheese" produced within the scope of the "Burdur Small Ruminant Milk Collection Network Project" carried out in cooperation with Burdur Provincial Special Administration, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ), Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and Burdur Sheep and Goat Breeders' Association with the support of the Western Mediterranean Development Agency within the scope of the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP) conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Technology General Directorate of Development Agencies was held.
The meeting held at Lavanta Tepesi Hotel started with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem. The meeting continued with a folk dance performance named Yörük Kervanı prepared by the MAKÜ Turkish Music State Conservatory Turkish Folk Dances Department.
The promotional meeting was attended by Burdur Governor Ali Arslantaş, Mayor Ali Orkun Ercengiz, Rector Prof. Dr. Adem Korkmaz, Bar Association President Ramazan Gedik, Provincial Special Administration Secretary General Asım Ertilav, Western Mediterranean Development Agency Secretary General 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 dairy and dairy products sector, and members of the press.
In 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 MAKÜ Dairy Products and Technologies Application and Research Center, and Öğr. Gör. Aslı Albayrak Karaoğlu, Deputy Director.
After the presentations, Burdur Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Mehmet Tuğrul, Western Mediterranean Development Agency Secretary General Volkan Güler, and Provincial Special Administration Secretary General 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 activate their internal potentials. If we are to reveal a development dynamic as Burdur, there are dozens of examples that show that the development and dynamics we take from our culture, our history, our economic potential, and our nature will be much more successful. We can see the mind of a city here today. It is our responsibility to act by making qualified focuses on these potentials. We need to fulfill this responsibility. Essentially, a story is being created in this project. 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 wisdom. When we produce a mind that has come together with the institutions of the state, non-governmental organizations, producer associations, and sector representatives, we can very clearly observe social and economic development in agriculture and animal husbandry, added value, reduced migration, increased production and welfare, and reduced population mobility for social reasons. Therefore, this project has such a symbolic meaning. You need to enter the dairy products market as well. We held a common wisdom workshop on this issue again. Here, our valuable representatives expressed their ideas in this workshop. In the framework we put forward in the main report results of that workshop, there was goat tulum cheese. We, as a university, fulfill our responsibility in producing common wisdom. 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 really a very important concept. The critical time for the sustainability of the goat tulum cheese story is just beginning. As MAKÜ Farm, we are introducing 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 mixed products like 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, on the other hand, said in his speech, “Today we are rightfully proud of signing a very important project. I believe that the understanding that we can improve 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 ruminants. We must develop the small ruminant, which is a product of the Yörük culture. We can achieve a better place 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 naming the Burdur goat cheese, which we are promoting today, is important. 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 while our valuable academicians were giving 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 the decisions taken at the workshop held in 2021, the implementation of the target gains with belief and determination, the information provided to the producers, the necessary grant support, the achievement of a taste standard by obtaining a product that stands out from its counterparts with its unique taste as a result of a laborious production process are not insignificant achievements. The credit for this success belongs to all our stakeholders involved in the project. The advertisement of this product starts with including our tulum cheese, packaged with Burdur alacası, 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 to our neighbor with a glass of strong tea. I believe that the taste of the product will advertise itself and in a short time, this exquisite taste will gain the value of belonging to our city.”
After the speeches, the tasting of Burdur Goat Tulum Cheese was held. İlhan Koçulu, representative of Kars Koçulu Cheese, Süleyman Yıldırım, representative of Erzincan Efendigil Cheese, Mustafa Döğen, representative of Çorum Kargı Döğen Trade, Nilhan Aras, Editor of Metro Gastro Magazine, Şakir Sarıçay from İzmir Sidas Media, Yusuf Ziya Yılmaz, Kitchen Coordinator of Kristal Hotels, Halim Ezgi, representative of İzmir Sancak Dairy Products, Ali Atak, President of Ezine Cheesemakers Association, and all participants shared their opinions after the cheese tasting.
The program ended with the presentation of gifts and a photo shoot.
