EGET PRODUCES AWARD-WINNING OLIVE OIL TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS

Hamle Newspaper / July 9, 2026

To read the news: https://www.hamlegazetesi.com.tr

I started my article yesterday with the following statements:

“These days, TÜLOV (Turkey Promotion Research Democracy and Secularism Foundation) and the Muğla Planning Agency (MUPA) are in the spotlight. In the news article in Sabah Newspaper, titled ‘Tansu, the Key Figure of the Deep CHP,’ it was stated:

‘Tansu Özcan, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Muğla Planning Agency (MUPA), who experienced a rapid rise while working as an executive assistant at TÜLOV, is featured. It has been learned that Tansu Özcan was promoted from executive assistant at TÜLOV in İzmir in 2020 to the position of foundation director.’ It was reported that in 2022, while working as a salaried employee in the Bodrum Municipality, he went to Izmir for his job at TÜLOV and received a salary from Bodrum Municipality for months without going to work.

A serious allegation… Although not as important as the allegation that Mayor Ahmet Aras will switch to the AK Party, it is not an allegation that can be brushed aside or ignored…”

My article yesterday received great interest, it was one of my articles that exceeded 3,000 views, but it aroused great curiosity in TÜLOV.

TÜLOV is, as its name suggests, a foundation. It is a foundation that has undertaken the mission of contributing to the promotion of Türkiye and supporting democratic and secular values ​​through education, culture, art, and science studies, and strives to provide scholarships to university students at home and abroad without any repayment. For this purpose, it organizes cultural and artistic events.

In this sense, we know the EGET Foundation in Muğla. Unlike TÜLOV, EGET in Muğla achieves success not every year, but every few months, thanks to the dedicated work of its managers and employees.

TÜLOV, for other reasons While TÜLOV is making headlines, EGET is doing so with its successes. Because TÜLOV, which started with very good intentions, has, I think, become a politicized structure over time, as it began to be managed by people who were also involved in politics within the same party. So much so that I would say it has become the backyard of the CHP, but I don't know if it would be more accurate to say that the CHP and especially the CHP-led municipalities are the backyard of TÜLOV...

We'll come back to TÜLOV. Today, let's look at EGET, the foundation of Muğla.

According to the EGET Foundation's news service dated June 16, 2026, under the motto "EGET Brings Muğla's Agricultural Products to National and International Platforms," ​​EGET continues to win awards with its olive oil, which is beginning to gain international recognition. They received another award from Japan. It reminds me of an event the foundation held on their land, which I couldn't visit. One of my colleagues who attended later said, "Efe, they don't even have olive trees, where do they find the olive oil?" and I laughed a lot. Yes, EGET doesn't have its own olive groves, but I believe they have Memecik Olive Groves in Muğla, which they've selected and contracted for. They acquire high-quality produce and, through quality work, present the resulting product to high-quality markets. While spending their profits on the foundation, they also provide scholarships for young people. In doing so, they are rediscovering "Muğla Agriculture" and helping the people of Muğla rediscover it as well. One of these rediscoveries is EGET's Ula Garlic, which received an award for its geographical indication status, a product that was almost extinct. Congratulations…

“The Education, Geriatrics, Ecological Agriculture, and Tourism Foundation (EGET), established to provide scholarships to young people at risk of dropping out of education and directing all its income to this area, has achieved another success. EGET Memecik cold-pressed olive oil won a Silver medal for the 4th time at the Olive Japan competition, Asia's most prestigious olive oil competition, once again confirming its consistent quality. Thus, EGET olive oils have been awarded for the 7th time since 2020, including 4 in Japan, 2 in London, and one in Muğla.” The news story begins as follows:

“The OLIVE JAPAN International Olive Competition, organized by the Olive Oil Sommelier Association of Japan (OSAJ), stands out as Asia's most prestigious olive oil competition. It is of great importance for Japanese cuisine, known for its meticulousness in food. Olive oils are classified anonymously through blind tasting. This classification after tasting signifies the registration of the olive oil's 'superior' quality according to its characteristics. EGET has been awarded for the fourth time in this competition, consistently proving its ability to produce superior quality olive oil from the magnificent Memecik olives of the Aegean region. A total of 801 samples from 29 countries participated in this year's 15th OLIVE JAPAN. This success, while once again making Muğla's name known on international olive oil platforms, also contributes to the visibility of the city's local values ​​and production culture.”

Another success for EGET came with its geographically registered Ula Garlic, a favorite among gourmets. Ula Garlic, grown for the first time in the Ula-Armutçuk region by EGET, was selected as the winner at the Ula Garlic Festival. According to the information provided, at the Best Garlic Producer Competition held within the scope of the Ula Garlic Festival organized by Ula Municipality on June 13-14, 2026, EGET Foundation Economic Enterprise, which cultivates geographically protected Ula Garlic using ecological methods, was awarded first prize. EGET Foundation Board Chairman Özlem Uzman and EGET Foundation Economic Enterprise Agricultural Engineer Necla Dal received their first-place awards from Ula District Governor Mehmet Rıdvan Doğan and Ula Mayor Mehmet Caner. While evaluating the awards, EGET Board Chairman Özlem Uzman, who said, “All our efforts are aimed at providing scholarships to one more student. With these awards, we now have even more work to do,” made the following assessment regarding the awards:

“Starting with lavender production and raw materials obtained from lavender in our agricultural areas, we have become an example in healthy, sustainable agricultural and industrial products through our economic enterprises. We have brought the Efilyun and EGETTEN brands to our country. Our EGET olive oils have begun to be appreciated all over the world from Muğla, which is historically one of the centers of olives and olive oil. In addition to these, we are now working to bring Ula Garlic to its rightful place in Turkey's finest restaurants. I am happy to emphasize again: All this effort is aimed at providing scholarships to one more student. Of course, we now have even more work to do. To deliver both Ula Garlic and olive oils to people who care about their health, to fine kitchens, and to gourmet restaurants. We have two more important tasks. To develop ecological agriculture, healthy and sustainable agriculture by farming in harmony with nature, and to provide our people with..." "Our most important task is to uplift our farmers. Of course, by doing all this, we aim to give more hope to our young people and offer them equal opportunities. We will increase the number and amount of our educational scholarships. For this, the support of every single person and institution is of great importance."

EGET Scholarships are determined by a ranking system based on applications submitted through a computer program, without any discrimination. EGET emphasizes that it is an institution that embraces every person and organization wishing to do good, without any prejudice, stating, "Based in Muğla, our only goal is to spread goodness throughout Turkey and the world." Özlem Uzman, who said this, explained the awards received by EGET Products as follows:

-Ula Municipality 2026 Ula Garlic Festival Best Garlic Producer EGET Ula Garlic - First Place

-The Olive Oil Sommelier Association of Japan (OSAJ), OLIVE JAPAN International Olive Competition

2026 EGET Memecik-Silver… 2025 EGET Memecik-Silver… 2023 EGET Memecik-Silver… 2020 EGET Kuzluk-Silver

-Muğla Provincial Directorate of Agriculture Olive Oil Awards

2026 EGET Harman- Premium

-London International Olive Oil Competition

2025 EGET Memecik-Gold… 2023 EGET Memecik-Silver…

EGET Foundation also returned with an award from the competition held in Italy with the olive oil it produced from the olives of Yaraş Neighborhood of Menteşe under the "EGET Harman" brand. We will share that news separately as well…