He believed in the producer, and the world believed in him!

A drop of Ayvalık olive oil…

A slice of Kayseri pastrami, a bite of Ezine cheese… A handful of Antep pistachios…

These are not just flavors; they are history, culture, identity, and memory.

For centuries, local products produced silently in the fertile lands of Anatolia were seen only as regional values for many years. Until one man showed that each of those products was actually the deep memory of these lands:

Prof. Dr. Yavuz Tekelioğlu!

Today, the 2025 Gourmand Awards prize he won in Portugal—by remaining in the top four in the finals among 200 works and leaving the world's largest organizations behind—is the second international honor bestowed upon YÜCİDERGİ, the product of a giant 558-page labor! But this award is not just the prize for an effort that emerged from 30 years of work; it is the prize for an idea, a fighting spirit, and most importantly, a life.

The Association for the Protection of Geographical Indications in Turkey (YÜCİTA), which agricultural economist Professor Yavuz Tekelioğlu founded in 2012, was actually not just a scientific initiative; it was a movement to claim Anatolia's identity. Tekelioğlu took geographical indications out of being an academic field and transformed them into the producer's life, the consumer's consciousness, and the country's development strategy.

For him, geographical indications were not just labels; they were the common signature of the soil, the climate, the labor, and the culture. He did not just document this signature; he introduced it to the world. He showed that every product coming from the local level could gain a universal identity.

Today, Turkey is showcasing many of its products registered in Europe on the world stage by following the path he paved.

But perhaps most meaningful of all was that Tekelioğlu did not dedicate this great award to himself, but to the producers who bring those products out from the bosom of the soil...

Last night in Lisbon, 80-year-old Professor Yavuz Tekelioğlu, who was deemed worthy of the Gourmand Awards—the most prestigious award in the gastronomy world in the geographical indications category—said in his speech, “This award given to me belongs to all the producers in the world who grow products with geographical indications, who knead the soil with their sweat, and who ferment abundance with their labor,” he said. “I dedicate this award to all the producers in the world who shed sweat!”

This statement describes who he is in its simplest form.

Tekelioğlu fought for the yogurt of the woman in the countryside, the cheese of the shepherd in the highlands, and the halva of the master in the town. He uncovered, documented, protected, and brought the history behind a fig and the production knowledge behind a tahini to the value they deserve.

Because in his belief, geographical indications were not just cultural heritage, but the future of Turkey.

YÜCİDERGİ became the encyclopedia of this labor. Every page was a tribute to Anatolia. And the award it received today is proof that this labor is recognized by the world.

This victory is not only Yavuz Tekelioğlu's; it is the victory of the villager growing olives in Aydın, the producer fermenting Gruyère in Kars, and the master making baklava in Antep.

This is not a magazine award; this is a country's awakening to its own value.

And now, as I write these lines, I feel proud both as a citizen and as a child.

Because Prof. Dr. Yavuz Tekelioğlu is my father.

Today, in that sentence where he dedicated this award to all laborers, I see both his wisdom and the greatness of his heart.

I know that following in his footsteps is not just about continuing a legacy, but about claiming the essence of this country.

YÜCİDERGİ, which was honored with two major international awards today, was brought to life with great effort and a spirit of volunteerism. The members of the Association for the Protection of Geographical Indications in Turkey have as much great effort in this as my father. They are the proof that miracles can be created from the impossible in Turkey.

Long live YÜCİTA!

Long live Yavuz Tekelioğlu!