MHP MP revealed as owner of the company's Turkish branch! Today in trade with Israel...

Journalist Metin Cihan has revealed that MHP Antalya MP Hilmi Durgun is at the helm of the Turkish branch of the Israeli agricultural giant Haifa Group.

According to information shared by Cihan on his social media account, the MHP MP Durgun is the owner of the Agrosel company, which serves as the Turkish branch of the firm.

"PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG"

Cihan stated the following in his post on his X account:

"As you know, they destroyed local seeds and forced farmers to rely on Israeli and other foreign seeds. So, who is the owner of Agrosel, the Turkish branch of the Israeli agricultural giant Haifa? MP Hilmi Durgun. Please correct me if I am wrong."

It was observed that before becoming an MP, Durgun promoted Agrosel on his social media accounts. Hilmi Durgun, who served as MHP's Muratpaşa District Administrator, Antalya Provincial Deputy Chair, and Antalya Provincial Chair, entered Parliament as an MHP MP in the 2023 General Elections.

MHP MP ACKNOWLEDGES TRADE

The MHP MP Durgun made a statement regarding the matter on his social media account. Stating that they do not trade in seeds, Durgun acknowledged the trade they conduct with the Israeli company Haifa. Durgun wrote the following:

"My statement regarding the smear campaign that started on social media today and was subsequently launched by certain news sites—which did not even bother to research the matter before reporting it like they had found a treasure—is as follows:

1. As Agrosel Tarım, we have not traded in domestic or imported SEEDS since our establishment (2002).

2. As Agrosel Tarım, we engage in fertilizer production and the sale of the fertilizers we produce to both domestic and international markets.

3. Unfortunately, the raw materials required for fertilizer production are not found in our country. As can be seen from the official information provided by our Ministry of Agriculture, nearly all (90%) of the sources for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), which are the raw materials for fertilizer, are imported from different countries around the world.

4. The Haifa company in question is one of the world's leading fertilizer raw material producers and suppliers. It is not a SEED company. Furthermore, while they have headquarters in our country, they have hundreds of customers in different regions of our country affiliated with their headquarters.

5. It is a necessity to import or procure from importers the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that are raw materials for fertilizer so that fertilizers and plant nutrition products, which are essential for the continuity of plant production, can reach the Turkish farmer.

Meeting all kinds of needs such as technology, fertilizer, pesticides, agricultural machinery, etc., required for the development of Turkish agriculture and for the Turkish farmer to reach world quality standards is a national duty."