Okra...

Geographically, Göcek consists of three distinct, sequential regions. The first part is formed by its sea, which is rich in bays and islands. The second part is the coastline, the bazaar, and the area where residential development is concentrated, marking the beginning of the steep Taurus mountain range. The third part is the Taşbaşı area, located above and behind the Taurus mountains. Each of these three geographical regions has its own beautiful and distinct aspects. We can evaluate them separately. When summer arrives, domestic and foreign tourists who love sailing and maritime activities never leave the bays, the sea, or their yachts. There is incredible maritime traffic. In each of the approximately 80 bays and 12 islands, there are 5-10 yachts and boats anchored. In Göcek, which has 7 marinas, some even speak of 2,000 to 3,000 yachts per day.

You can encounter the coastline, the bazaar, restaurants, stores of famous brands, and chain markets of all sizes at every step. In recent years, chain markets have been among the fastest-growing sectors in Göcek.

The area between the Dalaman-Fethiye highway and the steep Taurus mountains is where most of the residential complexes are located. It has been struggling with zoning plan changes for years. It is a region where development is as slow as a turtle. The Ministry has issued a tender for the Zoning Plan. I hope resources are allocated and it is completed as soon as possible.

As for Taşbaşı; it is a semi-agricultural and residential area that is out of sight and out of mind. It is quiet, peaceful, and located 350-400 meters above sea level. In recent years, even if it was illegal, and especially after the famous Zoning Amnesty, some activity has been observed. There are also those like me who are engaged in olive growing and gardening in between.

I am trying to grow vegetables next to the olive groves in a place called Demirtaş, on the lower side of the Karabelen area. As they say, "a hoe and two waters"; when the hoeing for the peppers that were starting to flower was finished, it was the turn of the okra. When I asked my assistant, Avni Hasan Koç, how he felt about okra, he replied, "I don't even want to go near its field!" When I asked what would happen to the hoeing work, he answered with a sullen face, "Work is work, we will endure it."

Even though I explained that okra is rich in collagen and very important, he asked the counter-question, "What is collagen?"

Collagen, which is generally associated with skin health, is actually a type of protein that is essential for our entire body, both structurally and functionally. There are 26 types. Its primary task is to strengthen connective tissue and maintain bodily integrity. Without collagen in our bodies, our body parts could not stay together. For example, it protects the ligaments that attach muscles to bones and the structures that hold the systems that move the knees together. The main task of collagen, which makes up a large part—about 80%—of the body's connective tissue, is to create a network that forms the skin structure, giving the skin strength, elasticity, and firmness. Along with Vitamin C, it is very important for the body. When I said that besides many plants, it is also found in abundance in soups like 'kelle paça' (sheep's head and trotter soup), A. Hasan Koç immediately said, "Keep the okra for yourself, I'll make up for it with 'kelle paça'."

Pointing to the fennel patches right next to the okra, he wanted to get rid of the okra by saying, "Let me weed, clean, and fertilize the fennel, and you and your friends hoe the okra field."

Implying that everything in our country, from education to politics, from justice to the economy, has become a tangled mess (like fennel), we divided the tasks by saying, "I can't do anything about them, but I can fix the fennel patches in the garden."

Yes, dear readers, our country has a serious production problem. Let alone producing vegetables, grains, or fruits, we cannot even produce 'men' (people of character). This is the point reached in the discussions regarding the LGS (High School Entrance Exam) when we have such Ministers of National Education. We can raise neither ministers nor men. Neither artists nor people of culture.

İhsan Ünlü, who also works on our farm, intervened and said, "Professor, when I get bored, I watch Şaban (Kemal Sunal's character), and I feel happy!" Are we still hoping for help from the old days?

We must raise people of character along with okra. As long as there are people like the Ministers of National Education we have, how will people of character be raised? Let's ask someone who knows. Google cannot answer this, but perhaps artificial intelligence can!

Take care of your health, and prioritize collagen consumption to stay upright.