Security forces patrol olive gardens at harvest season

BALIKESİR

As the olive harvest season commences in the northwestern province of Balıkesir, where 40 tons of olive oil are produced, the gendarmerie teams have started conducting round-the-clock patrols and implementing security measures to counteract theft.

The security measures taken by the gendarmerie for olives come in the wake of severe yield decreases in various regions of the country due to climate crises and extreme weather conditions, along with the Trade Ministry's three-month ban on olive oil exports in August.

In Balıkesir, where there are approximately 12 million olive trees, producers in the Edremit Gulf, which stands out especially with its oil olives, started to file complaints against suspects who came with pickup trucks and committed theft with the start of the harvest process.

In response to these reports, inspections on stolen olives have been intensified at olive oil factories, and the Balıkesir Governor’s Office authorized gendarmerie personnel to take up duty in the olive groves.

Local authorities reported that in addition to gendarmerie patrols, aerial controls are being carried out with drone support, along with surveillance through night vision devices, thermal cameras and armored vehicles.