The suckers of the olives in the garden...

Sema Kaynar is a retired teacher and my brother-in-law's wife. When she told me over the phone that she wanted to plant coneflowers (echinacea) in her garden in Çeşme, I replied, "I'll find them." The week before, when a mobile florist came to the site from Turgutlu, they were selling red echinacea in a pot for 50.00 TL. Since I hadn't bought flowers in a long time, I found it quite expensive. I muttered to myself, 'How expensive, is it worth paying this much for a seasonal flower?' 

On my way to İzmir, I stopped by a florist at the entrance of Köyceğiz Beyobası, which is one of the successful examples of cooperatives. When I asked for coneflowers in different colors, they said they were 50.00 TL each! While I was complaining about how expensive life has become, my surprise diminished slightly in a country where a simit (bagel) costs 20.00 TL.

After buying about 30 flowers from Mr. Şaban and arriving in İzmir, I first examined the area where I would plant the flowers. 

We designated the area between the olive trees on the left side of the garden entrance as the planting site. The bases and branches of the olive trees were also covered in many suckers. I explained that these suckers, or basal shoots, should be cleared because they are harmful to the strength and nutrition of the olive trees. My brother-in-law Bülent Kaynar replied, "Those suckers are nothing; the real issue is that they broke the back of our olive industry last week with an omnibus bill in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The miners won, and Turkey's olive industry has suffered a major blow!"

Yes, our olives had been under protection since January 1939 with Law No. 3573. The law, known in the public as the "Olive Law," allows olive groves to be opened for mining and energy projects under certain conditions.

They had tried to bypass Law No. 3573 in previous years as well. In fact, during the 26th legislative term when I was in Parliament, the bill that was introduced was pushed back. Unfortunately, in recent weeks, the protective law has been breached, and miners and plunderers have managed to open a gap. 

It is not just the shoots, or suckers, and caterpillars that harm our olives; miners and energy project developers who have set their sights on the country's underground wealth are also preparing for greater plunder. I hope our olive industry, which ranks 5th in the world, does not fall further behind.

I won't prolong my article any further; after cleaning the suckers from the olive trees, we carefully planted the echinacea, or coneflowers. I hope they take root. In the meantime, we also supported them with worm castings and composted animal manure.

I also learned that these flowers, which I love, are quite popular in America as well. 

By the way, I should not finish my article without mentioning the many benefits of echinacea herbal tea.

According to a blog post prepared by the Memorial group;

Echinacea, a member of the daisy family, has a relaxing and calming effect when consumed as a tea. The tea, which is thought to be good for anxiety disorders and depression, helps reduce sleep problems when consumed regularly. Echinacea tea consumed before bedtime helps in transitioning to quality sleep. It makes coping with stress easier. It helps alleviate headaches caused by stress.

The plant, which has flowers in many colors, contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals. When consumed regularly, the vitamins and minerals in the echinacea plant help speed up the metabolism. Consumed regularly for a few weeks, it can help with some weight loss. As a natural diuretic, the plant helps with weight loss by ensuring the removal of edema that accumulates in the body and causes swelling. Edema, which affects a small area or a large part of the body, is a health problem. Edema, which occurs with excessive fluid accumulation in the tissues, can cause discomfort to the person. 

By helping to accelerate bowel movements, it prevents constipation and supports digestion. Echinacein, one of its components, prevents harmful organisms that cause infections from entering cells. It is recommended against many infections that occur in the body. The phytochemical component it contains helps reduce cancer cells. Like every herbal tea, excessive use of the beneficial echinacea can lead to various problems.

Take care of your health during these days when the heat is at its peak. Avoid going out in the sun too much during the noon hours. 

In the meantime, I once again commemorate with gratitude and respect those who signed the Treaty of Lausanne, which tore up the Treaty of Sèvres and solidified our full independence, and I bow before their memory.