Tea History in Türkiye
The tea was brought to Anatolia as it was a part of the silk road, before Europe.
The travel book of Evliya Çelebi as well as some of the records contain notes on tea.
According to the available records, the first serious attempt to grow tea in Turkey dates back to 1888. On the 107th page of the book “The Industrial and Commercial Geography” that was published in 1892 in Istanbul by Mudanya District Governor Hasan Fehmi, who was graduated from Mektebi Mülkiyeyi Şahane, it is written that the tea saplings were brought from China with the help of the Minister of Commerce Esbaki İsmail Pasha.
The tea saplings that were planted at specific locations of Bursa could not grow; the same attempt was tried in 1892 but no result could be obtained.
This nice attempt could not succeed because of the ecological conditions of our Bursa province which were not suitable for tea production and this information was not available at that time.
According to some sources the tea production in Anatolia was started with the tea seeds brought from Japan in 1878 but it was not successful.
But the tea drinking habit became widespread among the people quickly and the tea production in Turkey became a subject of discussion. Although few, some articles and books were published on tea.
It is stated in the preamble section of a booklet “Epistle of Tea” which was published in 1877 by Hacı Mehmet Arif Efendi, who was also called the Tea Maker because of his extraordinary interest in this plant, who also worked at Hejaz Deputy Governorship, Haremi Şerif Directorate and Basra Governorship, wrote that he had been regularly and meticulously consuming tea for 30 years and was continuing to consume it and he was healthy and strong. Hacı Mehmet Arif was a connoisseur of tea and he believed it was very beneficial for health, therefore he emphasized the benefits of tea and recommended higher consumption rates.
The “Information on Tea” book written by Mehmet İzzet was published in 1910. Mehmet İzzet pointed that the habit of drinking tea was becoming common among the people and he stated that he wrote that book because, although there were some general and medical books that recorded information, some of them were too narrow and brief while others were to be meant for specialists, therefore numerous information was collected in the book.
The tea agriculture attempts in Turkey were developed after 1917. A committee was sent to the region to carry out investigations after Batum was returned to the motherland. Halkalı Agricultural School Deputy Principal and Plant & Plant Diseases Mudarris Ali Rıza Erten, who took part in the committee, offered a report with 91 pages to the Ministry of Economy when he returned from travel and explained that the tea plant could be grown along the Eastern Black Sea coasts, which had similar ecological properties.
Ali Rıza Erten stated in his report, which was published as a book by the Ministry of Economy under the name of Agricultural Studies in Caucasia and Northeastern Anatolia, that, Russia tried to grow tea in 1833, but it could not be achieved because the selected region was unsuitable, therefore a scientific committee was sent in 1892 to examine the tea growth conditions and processing methods in China, India, Japan and Sri Lanka, and they brought 6000 tea saplings and a hundred oka of tea seeds and they planted them at Tbilisi, Sohumi gardens and Kutaisi province gardens; they expanded the tea fields based on the results and they worked to prevent the exportation of four million gold used for tea importation, meanwhile the tea in the region also gained economic value as the result of the efforts of C.S. POPOF.
After stating in detail the technical information on the agriculture and processes of tea in the report, Ali Rıza Erten stated that the amounts of tea that arrived at the customs of Istanbul through importation was:
1919: 527.586 kg
1920: 433.550 kg
1921: 127.103 kg
1922: 120.430 kg
1923: 670.930 kg
Erten pointed to the amount of money paid for tea importation and recommended Rize region for tea agriculture as it was ecologically suitable. Moreover he stated that taking precautions to grow lemon, orange, mandarin and bamboo in the region would be beneficial.
Ali Rıza Erten’s report was not taken into account because of other events with higher priority that happened after the First World War. The people of Eastern Black Sea who went to Batum to earn money before the war found this possibility after the war, which made the problems more visible. The fact that the people of the region had to work at various places throughout the country because of unemployment and poverty, and they had to live away from their families, made it compulsory to create employment areas in the region. In order to solve the problem and create a source of income for the people in the region, Turkish Grand National Assembly adopted 407 no. Law on 6 February 1924 to grow hazelnut, orange, mandarin, lemon and tea in Rize province and Borçka town.
The Department of Garden Cultures was founded in Rize to carry out the preliminary trials for tea agriculture and to improve the fruit cultivation in the region immediately after the law was adopted. General Agricultural Inspector Zihni Derin was assigned to organize and manage the works. During the beginning of the following year, Rize Agricultural Officer was sent to Batum to purchase tea seeds and to increase his knowledge and information on tea and citrus fruits. Tea production was started in Rize, which is today’s Central Sapling Area, with the tea seeds purchased from Batum. Zihni Derin also went to Batum in the same year for examinations.
The saplings produced at Rize Central Sapling Area were being distributed to the local people and they were also sent to many provinces for production trials. The conditions of other provinces were not suitable for the ecology required by the tea plant, as explained by Ali Rıza Erten in his detailed report. The excitement in the production and distribution of tea saplings dropped in parallel with the lack of interest of the producers. The producers who were not given sufficient information and who were without support, constantly lost their interest in tea agriculture as they could not foresee the future. This was the situation at the beginning of 1933.
As the government adopted the principle of self-sufficiency with a program in 1933, the tea agriculture subject was revived once again. Two more years passed to complete the organizational works and preparations. The Agricultural Minister Prof. Muhlis Erkmen visited Rize region in 1935 together with a Science Committee and concluded that the region was suitable in terms of tea agriculture and industrial development. The tea problem was determined to be solved once and for all. Prof. Dr. Şevket Raşit Hatipoğlu, who took part in the Scientific Committee, explained the technical and economical problems of growing tea in his book “Tea Economy in Turkey” together with the precautions that had to be taken to develop tea growing possibilities in our country and brought them to the public attention.
Two more years pass with these tours, discussions and correspondences and we reach 1937. Zihni Derin was re-assigned with full authorization to establish and develop tea agriculture. This time the works were carried out meticulously and based on a program thanks to the experiences of the lost years in the past.
In order to establish seed cultivation garden to produce saplings and to distribute them to the producers, 20 tons of tea seeds were purchased from Soviets with Georgia origin inn 1937. With the same goal, 30 tons in 1939 and 20 tons in 1940 (in total 50 tons) of tea seeds were purchased to make the production more common. 3788 no. Law on Tea that was adopted on 27 March 1940 ensured that the tea agriculture and tea producers were to be supported. In this period Zihni Derin led the literate agriculturalists and put great efforts to develop tea agriculture. Meanwhile the President of Rize Agricultural Chambers Muharrem Şadoğlu and the President of Chamber of Commerce Hulusi Karadeniz greatly contributed with their outstanding services in making tea common in the region.
Zihni Derin is known as the Father of Tea because of his outstanding services in establishing and developing the tea agriculture and industry in the region.
Based on these facts, TÜBİTAK awarded Zihni Derin in 1969 with the SERVICE AWARD.
Based on 3788 no. Law and the bylaw adopted in 1940 accordingly, the tea agriculture areas were determined based on ecological principles, from Araklı Stream until the borders of Soviet Union, 15km inside from the coast. Considering the tea consumption and importation conditions, 30.000 decares of area was reserved for tea agriculture and 25 lira credit was decided to be provided to the producers without interest, for 5 years by Ziraat Bank. Based on the same bylaw the tea production was allowed in Hoppa,Sürmene and Of in 1940.
The fresh tea leaves obtained during these years were processed as black tea at the workshops of Zihni Derin. The coffee and tea were monopolized with the 4223 no. law on coffee and tea (20 May 1942) and the produced tea was given under the control of Tekel Administration. According to the provisions of that law the tea was monopolized by the state and was managed by Tekel General Directorship; the retail sale price of tea was going to be same throughout the country and the fresh tea leaves could not be produced, processed or sold by people without legal authorities in scope of 1918 no. anti-smuggling Law.
The tea factory requirement emerged when the fresh tea production constantly increased. The management of all works regarding tea was taken over by the State Institution of Agricultural Affairs in 1946. The first tea factory was opened for operation in 1947 at Fener location of Rize with 60 tons/day capacity. The tea agriculture was started to be managed by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1950 after the first tea production was established and production began; while the purchasing, processing and marketing of the fresh tea was managed by the Ministry of Customs and Monopolies.
The law to amend some articles of 5748 No. Law on Tea (27 February 1951); 6133 no. additional law for the law on tea (10 July 1953) and 6754 no. Law (30 June1956) were adopted in the following years to encourage the tea agriculture and tea producing cooperatives.
The tea consumption in Turkey increased nearly 3 times during 1945-1950 period. It became compulsory to expand the agricultural areas for tea as determined by 3788 no. law. The tea agriculture area was expanded to 65000 decares with 574 no. law (27.02.1950). Later, instead of expanding the agricultural areas for tea by adopting laws, this authorization was given to the Council of Ministers (10.07.1953 dated and 6133 no. law). The credit amount to be granted to the producers without interest for tea growing areas were raised to 350 liras from 75 liras per decare (6754 no. law - 25.06.1956). Tea growing area permissions were given based on 60901955 dated and 4/3840 no. decree for Giresun Merkez, Bulancak, Keşap, Tirebolu and Görele (15 km inside from the coast, until 500 meters of height); Ordu Merkez, Perşembe and Fatsa (22.07.1957 dated and 4/9290 no. decree); Akköse of Maçka, Güler, Tüfekçi, Ormancılık, Çaybaşı, Taşçılar, Günebakan, Ulucami and Çalışanlar villages (3.06.1966 dated and 6/6578 no. decree). Meanwhile 65000 decares of unregistered tea growing areas were found suitable to become registered based on 3.2.1968 dated and 6/9603 no. decree, and the tea agriculture area in the region was therefore increased to 265000 decares. Tea plantation area was increased to 400000 decares in 1972 and 646000 decares in 1983.
The tea agriculture and industry were re-arranged in 1971 for higher efficiency in terms of economic and social aspects. A Public Economic Enterprise was founded based on 440 no. law on the Public Economic Enterprises and Organizations, with 1497 no. Tea Institution law (6 December 1971) as a legal entity called Tea Institution, which was autonomous in its works and of which responsibility was limited to its capital. The tea monopoly stated in the 1st article of 4223 no. Coffee and Tea Monopoly Law; the authority to grant permit as stated in the 2nd article of 3788 no. Tea Law; the duties and authorities assigned to Tekel General Directorate based on the 2nd paragraph of 2nd article of 5433 no. Law were all transferred to the Tea Institution based on that law.
The Tea Institution Law (no. 1497) was replaced by 112 no. legislative decree based on 2929 no. Law (19 September 1983) that re-organized the arrangement of Public Economic Enterprises and Public Economic Organizations.
The Tea Institution was turned into a Public Economic Organization under the name of the Directorate General of Tea Enterprises. The Directorate General of Tea Enterprises was reorganized and rationalized with the 233 no. legislative decree adopted on 8 June 1984.
When we take the history of the developments in tea sector into account, it will be seen the biggest change happened with 3092 no. Tea Law (4 December 1984). The agriculture, production, processing and sales of tea have been made free based on this law. In this way, the real persons and legal entities were given the right to purchase fresh tea leaves from the producers, to establish and manage factories to process and package tea. The law lifted the monopoly of the state in tea sector and it become possible for the state and private sector to work together. But the authority to determine the tea agriculture areas belongs to the Council of Ministers. Tea agriculture is forbidden outside of the determined areas, and those who want to establish tea gardens at areas included in the tea agriculture areas are subjected to permit requirement.
The travel book of Evliya Çelebi as well as some of the records contain notes on tea.
According to the available records, the first serious attempt to grow tea in Turkey dates back to 1888. On the 107th page of the book “The Industrial and Commercial Geography” that was published in 1892 in Istanbul by Mudanya District Governor Hasan Fehmi, who was graduated from Mektebi Mülkiyeyi Şahane, it is written that the tea saplings were brought from China with the help of the Minister of Commerce Esbaki İsmail Pasha.
The tea saplings that were planted at specific locations of Bursa could not grow; the same attempt was tried in 1892 but no result could be obtained.
This nice attempt could not succeed because of the ecological conditions of our Bursa province which were not suitable for tea production and this information was not available at that time.
According to some sources the tea production in Anatolia was started with the tea seeds brought from Japan in 1878 but it was not successful.
But the tea drinking habit became widespread among the people quickly and the tea production in Turkey became a subject of discussion. Although few, some articles and books were published on tea.
It is stated in the preamble section of a booklet “Epistle of Tea” which was published in 1877 by Hacı Mehmet Arif Efendi, who was also called the Tea Maker because of his extraordinary interest in this plant, who also worked at Hejaz Deputy Governorship, Haremi Şerif Directorate and Basra Governorship, wrote that he had been regularly and meticulously consuming tea for 30 years and was continuing to consume it and he was healthy and strong. Hacı Mehmet Arif was a connoisseur of tea and he believed it was very beneficial for health, therefore he emphasized the benefits of tea and recommended higher consumption rates.
The “Information on Tea” book written by Mehmet İzzet was published in 1910. Mehmet İzzet pointed that the habit of drinking tea was becoming common among the people and he stated that he wrote that book because, although there were some general and medical books that recorded information, some of them were too narrow and brief while others were to be meant for specialists, therefore numerous information was collected in the book.
The tea agriculture attempts in Turkey were developed after 1917. A committee was sent to the region to carry out investigations after Batum was returned to the motherland. Halkalı Agricultural School Deputy Principal and Plant & Plant Diseases Mudarris Ali Rıza Erten, who took part in the committee, offered a report with 91 pages to the Ministry of Economy when he returned from travel and explained that the tea plant could be grown along the Eastern Black Sea coasts, which had similar ecological properties.
Ali Rıza Erten stated in his report, which was published as a book by the Ministry of Economy under the name of Agricultural Studies in Caucasia and Northeastern Anatolia, that, Russia tried to grow tea in 1833, but it could not be achieved because the selected region was unsuitable, therefore a scientific committee was sent in 1892 to examine the tea growth conditions and processing methods in China, India, Japan and Sri Lanka, and they brought 6000 tea saplings and a hundred oka of tea seeds and they planted them at Tbilisi, Sohumi gardens and Kutaisi province gardens; they expanded the tea fields based on the results and they worked to prevent the exportation of four million gold used for tea importation, meanwhile the tea in the region also gained economic value as the result of the efforts of C.S. POPOF.
After stating in detail the technical information on the agriculture and processes of tea in the report, Ali Rıza Erten stated that the amounts of tea that arrived at the customs of Istanbul through importation was:
1919: 527.586 kg
1920: 433.550 kg
1921: 127.103 kg
1922: 120.430 kg
1923: 670.930 kg
Erten pointed to the amount of money paid for tea importation and recommended Rize region for tea agriculture as it was ecologically suitable. Moreover he stated that taking precautions to grow lemon, orange, mandarin and bamboo in the region would be beneficial.
Ali Rıza Erten’s report was not taken into account because of other events with higher priority that happened after the First World War. The people of Eastern Black Sea who went to Batum to earn money before the war found this possibility after the war, which made the problems more visible. The fact that the people of the region had to work at various places throughout the country because of unemployment and poverty, and they had to live away from their families, made it compulsory to create employment areas in the region. In order to solve the problem and create a source of income for the people in the region, Turkish Grand National Assembly adopted 407 no. Law on 6 February 1924 to grow hazelnut, orange, mandarin, lemon and tea in Rize province and Borçka town.
The Department of Garden Cultures was founded in Rize to carry out the preliminary trials for tea agriculture and to improve the fruit cultivation in the region immediately after the law was adopted. General Agricultural Inspector Zihni Derin was assigned to organize and manage the works. During the beginning of the following year, Rize Agricultural Officer was sent to Batum to purchase tea seeds and to increase his knowledge and information on tea and citrus fruits. Tea production was started in Rize, which is today’s Central Sapling Area, with the tea seeds purchased from Batum. Zihni Derin also went to Batum in the same year for examinations.
The saplings produced at Rize Central Sapling Area were being distributed to the local people and they were also sent to many provinces for production trials. The conditions of other provinces were not suitable for the ecology required by the tea plant, as explained by Ali Rıza Erten in his detailed report. The excitement in the production and distribution of tea saplings dropped in parallel with the lack of interest of the producers. The producers who were not given sufficient information and who were without support, constantly lost their interest in tea agriculture as they could not foresee the future. This was the situation at the beginning of 1933.
As the government adopted the principle of self-sufficiency with a program in 1933, the tea agriculture subject was revived once again. Two more years passed to complete the organizational works and preparations. The Agricultural Minister Prof. Muhlis Erkmen visited Rize region in 1935 together with a Science Committee and concluded that the region was suitable in terms of tea agriculture and industrial development. The tea problem was determined to be solved once and for all. Prof. Dr. Şevket Raşit Hatipoğlu, who took part in the Scientific Committee, explained the technical and economical problems of growing tea in his book “Tea Economy in Turkey” together with the precautions that had to be taken to develop tea growing possibilities in our country and brought them to the public attention.
Two more years pass with these tours, discussions and correspondences and we reach 1937. Zihni Derin was re-assigned with full authorization to establish and develop tea agriculture. This time the works were carried out meticulously and based on a program thanks to the experiences of the lost years in the past.
In order to establish seed cultivation garden to produce saplings and to distribute them to the producers, 20 tons of tea seeds were purchased from Soviets with Georgia origin inn 1937. With the same goal, 30 tons in 1939 and 20 tons in 1940 (in total 50 tons) of tea seeds were purchased to make the production more common. 3788 no. Law on Tea that was adopted on 27 March 1940 ensured that the tea agriculture and tea producers were to be supported. In this period Zihni Derin led the literate agriculturalists and put great efforts to develop tea agriculture. Meanwhile the President of Rize Agricultural Chambers Muharrem Şadoğlu and the President of Chamber of Commerce Hulusi Karadeniz greatly contributed with their outstanding services in making tea common in the region.
Zihni Derin is known as the Father of Tea because of his outstanding services in establishing and developing the tea agriculture and industry in the region.
Based on these facts, TÜBİTAK awarded Zihni Derin in 1969 with the SERVICE AWARD.
Based on 3788 no. Law and the bylaw adopted in 1940 accordingly, the tea agriculture areas were determined based on ecological principles, from Araklı Stream until the borders of Soviet Union, 15km inside from the coast. Considering the tea consumption and importation conditions, 30.000 decares of area was reserved for tea agriculture and 25 lira credit was decided to be provided to the producers without interest, for 5 years by Ziraat Bank. Based on the same bylaw the tea production was allowed in Hoppa,Sürmene and Of in 1940.
The fresh tea leaves obtained during these years were processed as black tea at the workshops of Zihni Derin. The coffee and tea were monopolized with the 4223 no. law on coffee and tea (20 May 1942) and the produced tea was given under the control of Tekel Administration. According to the provisions of that law the tea was monopolized by the state and was managed by Tekel General Directorship; the retail sale price of tea was going to be same throughout the country and the fresh tea leaves could not be produced, processed or sold by people without legal authorities in scope of 1918 no. anti-smuggling Law.
The tea factory requirement emerged when the fresh tea production constantly increased. The management of all works regarding tea was taken over by the State Institution of Agricultural Affairs in 1946. The first tea factory was opened for operation in 1947 at Fener location of Rize with 60 tons/day capacity. The tea agriculture was started to be managed by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1950 after the first tea production was established and production began; while the purchasing, processing and marketing of the fresh tea was managed by the Ministry of Customs and Monopolies.
The law to amend some articles of 5748 No. Law on Tea (27 February 1951); 6133 no. additional law for the law on tea (10 July 1953) and 6754 no. Law (30 June1956) were adopted in the following years to encourage the tea agriculture and tea producing cooperatives.
The tea consumption in Turkey increased nearly 3 times during 1945-1950 period. It became compulsory to expand the agricultural areas for tea as determined by 3788 no. law. The tea agriculture area was expanded to 65000 decares with 574 no. law (27.02.1950). Later, instead of expanding the agricultural areas for tea by adopting laws, this authorization was given to the Council of Ministers (10.07.1953 dated and 6133 no. law). The credit amount to be granted to the producers without interest for tea growing areas were raised to 350 liras from 75 liras per decare (6754 no. law - 25.06.1956). Tea growing area permissions were given based on 60901955 dated and 4/3840 no. decree for Giresun Merkez, Bulancak, Keşap, Tirebolu and Görele (15 km inside from the coast, until 500 meters of height); Ordu Merkez, Perşembe and Fatsa (22.07.1957 dated and 4/9290 no. decree); Akköse of Maçka, Güler, Tüfekçi, Ormancılık, Çaybaşı, Taşçılar, Günebakan, Ulucami and Çalışanlar villages (3.06.1966 dated and 6/6578 no. decree). Meanwhile 65000 decares of unregistered tea growing areas were found suitable to become registered based on 3.2.1968 dated and 6/9603 no. decree, and the tea agriculture area in the region was therefore increased to 265000 decares. Tea plantation area was increased to 400000 decares in 1972 and 646000 decares in 1983.
The tea agriculture and industry were re-arranged in 1971 for higher efficiency in terms of economic and social aspects. A Public Economic Enterprise was founded based on 440 no. law on the Public Economic Enterprises and Organizations, with 1497 no. Tea Institution law (6 December 1971) as a legal entity called Tea Institution, which was autonomous in its works and of which responsibility was limited to its capital. The tea monopoly stated in the 1st article of 4223 no. Coffee and Tea Monopoly Law; the authority to grant permit as stated in the 2nd article of 3788 no. Tea Law; the duties and authorities assigned to Tekel General Directorate based on the 2nd paragraph of 2nd article of 5433 no. Law were all transferred to the Tea Institution based on that law.
The Tea Institution Law (no. 1497) was replaced by 112 no. legislative decree based on 2929 no. Law (19 September 1983) that re-organized the arrangement of Public Economic Enterprises and Public Economic Organizations.
The Tea Institution was turned into a Public Economic Organization under the name of the Directorate General of Tea Enterprises. The Directorate General of Tea Enterprises was reorganized and rationalized with the 233 no. legislative decree adopted on 8 June 1984.
When we take the history of the developments in tea sector into account, it will be seen the biggest change happened with 3092 no. Tea Law (4 December 1984). The agriculture, production, processing and sales of tea have been made free based on this law. In this way, the real persons and legal entities were given the right to purchase fresh tea leaves from the producers, to establish and manage factories to process and package tea. The law lifted the monopoly of the state in tea sector and it become possible for the state and private sector to work together. But the authority to determine the tea agriculture areas belongs to the Council of Ministers. Tea agriculture is forbidden outside of the determined areas, and those who want to establish tea gardens at areas included in the tea agriculture areas are subjected to permit requirement.