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2015 Turkey Trade Mission

November 7-15, 2015

Prepared for the US Dry Bean Council

J. Stobbs (Marketbase), 71 avenue Bosquet, 75007 Paris, FRANCE Tel. + 33 (0) 1 45 51 36 03 / Fax + 33 (0) 1 47 53 72 85

Email: [email protected]

US Dry Bean Council 2015 Turkey Trade Mission Report, November 24, 2015 2

Table of Contents

page

2015 Turkey Trade Mission Summary 3 2015 Turkey Trade Mission Notes 5 Executive Summary

A Profile of Turkey 7

Trade Mission Purpose 8

US Exports to Turkey 8

Turkish Domestic Production & Import Needs for Domestic Consumption & Re-Export Markets 9

Turkey’s Refugee Situation & its Impact on Pulse Imports 10 Trade Mission Meeting Schedule 11 Meeting Notes

Arbel 16 Aral 18 Bayamtas 20 Diyablar 22 Marka Trading 23 Memisler 25 Memisoglu 27 Oris-Pinarsan 29

Tekinler 30

Store-check, Migros supermarket, Istanbul 32 Going Forward in 2016 33 Recommendations 34


2015 Turkey Trade Mission Trip Summary Title: 2015 Turkey Trade Mission Report

Trip Start Date: November 7, 2015

Trip End Date: November 15, 2015

Trip Locations: Istanbul and Mersin

Trip Country: Turkey

Trip Participants: USDBC members: Cindi Allen, Melva Calloway and Johanna Stobbs (USDBC International Representative for Turkey).

2015 Turkey Trade Mission Flight Schedule Melva Calloway

Arrival Istanbul Sat. Nov. 7 TK #1846 from Athens Arrival Time 12:20 p.m.

Departure Istanbul Sat. Nov. 14 UA # 9127 to Frankfurt Departure Time 6h15 a.m.

Cindi Allen

Arrival Istanbul Sat. Nov. 7 TK #1846 from Athens Arrival Time 12h20 p.m.

Departure Istanbul Sat. Nov. 14 UA # 9127 to Frankfurt Departure Time 6h15 a.m.

Johanna Stobbs

Arrival Istanbul Sat. Nov. 7 AF #1590 from Paris Arrival Time 2h30 p.m.

Departure Istanbul Sun. Nov. 15 AF #1591 to Paris Departure Time 3h20 p.m.


Trip Itinerary: 5 days of trade meetings with 9 com panies in Istanbul and Mersin November 7, arrival in Istanbul November 9-10, meetings in Istanbul November 11-13, meetings in Mersin November 13, Istanbul November 14, departure for the US

Note: the role of the Promedia PR Agency The USDBC was assisted during the 2015 Turkey Trade Mission by the Turkish PR Agency, Promedia. Promedia helped to set up company meetings and assisted in translating, when needed. Promedia was also responsible for hotel reservations and ground transportation. We thank Promedia for its excellent support.

Welcome Dinner, from left to right: Cindi Allen (USDBC), Melva Calloway (USDBC), Johanna Stobbs (USDBC), Jack Jacob (Promedia PR Agency) and Feray Alpay (Promedia PR Agency).


2015 Turkey Trade Mission Notes Turkish traders were interested in:

US Great Northern beans Turkey has already imported nearly 7,000 MT of US Great Northern beans in the first 9 months of 2015. The Turkish sira bean crop was reported to be of good quality, but volumes will not be sufficient in the long term, especially as preparations begin for the month-long Ramadan period (Ramadan starts in June). The Turkish trade expects imports of Great Northern beans to generally pick up in April-May, 2016. Turkey continues to prefer Canadian Alberta-type Great Northern beans for planting purposes, but the US Great Northern is favored for consumption. Other white beans that may compete with the US Great Northern are the Argentinean alubia (reported to have wrinkle problems this year) and Egyptian white beans.

Garbanzo Beans, 8mm-9mm (and 10mm) The Turkish garbanzo bean crop was reported to be short this year, with little product available for re-export. The Turkish trade was disappointed to learn that the US has virtually no garbanzo beans left to offer. The trade was especially interested in dark color, 8mm + Sierra-type garbanzos for the roasting sector. However, the Trade Team had to inform the Turkish trade that the US now has nothing to ship, all product having been sold already.

Pinto Beans

The Trade Team learned that pinto beans are now entering the Turkish market in the food service sector. One company recently bought 10 FCLs of pintos. The origin of the pintos was unclear (perhaps Canadian), but the Turkish company will purchase another 10 containers soon, and will contact US suppliers.

Navy Beans US navy beans continue to be of interest to some Turkish companies which bid on food aid contracts to feed the 3 million refugees who now are camped on the Turkey-Iraq and Turkey-Syria borders. Many NGOs (non-governmental organizations) prefer small white beans for their food packs. In 2014, Turkey imported 12,500 MT of US navy beans for food aid. This year, the US will face competition from Ethiopian pea beans. However, the World Food Program operating in Turkey, is now calling for bids for larger white beans of the type found in Kyrgyzstan. US Great Northern beans, unfortunately, do not meet the WFP’s size and weight specifications.


Cranberry Beans The Turkish trade was surprised to learn that the US has sizeable amounts of good-quality cranberry beans this year, and that US cranberries are being offered at affordable prices. Since Turkey has long preferred red-speckled beans to brown speckles, the trade was keen to learn more about prices and product availability. Competition from larger-sized red-speckled beans from China remains high. However, if US cranberry prices can compete with Chinese prices, US suppliers could see an increase of cranberry exports to Turkey in 2016. Dark Red Kidney Beans

Although still very much a niche-market item in Turkey, one leading Turkish company has now imported US dark red kidney beans for the dry packaging and canning sectors. Interestingly, the Trade Team saw canned DRKs in a Migros supermarket in Istanbul during a store-check visit.

Rules and Regulations • The 14-day phytosanitary certificate rule is still being enforced by Turkish Customs

officials on a random basis.

The rule states that a phytosanitary certificate must be issued and dated within 14 days of shipment. Several US companies are addressing this requirement by having products examined at the port of embarkation, despite the extra cost.

• The Turkish government imposed a 19.2% tariff on all imported dry beans at the end of August 2014. This tariff, still in place, is designed to protect Turkish domestic production of white dry beans and does not affect dry peas, lentils or garbanzos. The Turkish trade remarked that if the price of domestic dry beans rose too high, this tariff could be eliminated.

Special Notes:

• Turkey held new General Elections on November 1, 2015, which resulted in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-leaning AK party winning a surprising parliamentary majority after the hung Parliament which followed the August 24th elections.

• The 2016 Global Pulse Confederation Conference (formerly CICILS) will take place

in Çeşme, Turkey (near Izmir), from May 19-22, 2016. The focus of the Conference will be the International Year of Pulses.

NB: The 2015 USDBC Trade Mission did not visit any of the Turkish companies that defaulted in 2014.


Executive Summary A Profile of Turkey

Turkey’s exceptional geographic location makes it a country that not only imports pulses for daily domestic consumption, but also acts as a hub for re-exports throughout the region, even as far as Europe. It is a vast country of 783,562 sq. km (303.000 sq miles - slightly larger than Texas) with borders on Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is a country of 79 million inhabitants, with a youthful population: more than 25% is under 14 years of age.

80% of the population is Turkish and 20%, Kurdish. Nearly 100% of Turks are Sunni Muslims, but there is freedom of religion and other religions are present. However, although the 1923 Turkish Constitution guarantees a secular state, there is creeping Islamization in the public sector. A strategic member of NATO, Turkey is participating in the West’s military campaign against ISIS and the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.

GDP: $806 billion (2014 estimate) Average per capita income: $19,600 (2014 estimate) GDP composition by sector : (2014 estimates) agriculture: 8.2% industry: 26.9 % services: 64.9% Agricultural products : tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus; livestock Capital city: Ankara (population 4.6 million)

Country Population: 79 million (2015 estimate) Population of Istanbul: 14.4 million (municipality) Urban population: 73.4 % of the total population (2015 estimate)

(Source: CIA Fact Book)


Trade Mission Purpose • To renew and strengthen ties with Turkish importers of US dry beans and

garbanzos. • To discuss the US dry bean crop of 2015. • To confirm which pulse products are currently most sought after in the Turkish

market. • To assess market conditions in Turkey.

A total of 9 companies (importers and dry packagers ) were visited in the 5-day period in Istanbul and Mersin.

US Exports to Turkey The following chart shows FAS statistics for US exports of dry beans and garbanzos to Turkey in the first 9 months of 2015, compared with the same time period in 2014. It also shows total US exports in 2014. The majority of US dry beans exported to Turkey in the period January-September 2015 were Great Northern beans. US exports are expected to rise in the coming months, especially with regard to cranberry beans.

2014 Jan - Sep 2014 Jan - Sep 2015

Partner Product UOM Value ($000)

Qty Value ($000)

Qty Value ($000)

Qty % Change (Value)

% Change (Qty)

Turkey Dry Beans MT 13,806 19,223.3 9,575 15,993.9 9,142 6,876.6 -5 -57

Turkey 0713333000 -

NAVY/PEA BEANS

MT 6,384 12,550.1 6,384 12,550.1 0 0.0 -- --

Turkey 0713395120 - GRT NTHRN BEANS

MT 6,111 5,149.7 2,017 2,122.4 9,142 6,876.6 353 224

Turkey 0713395150 - PINTO BEANS

MT 652 511.6 625 470.7 0 0.0 -- --

Turkey 0713395190 - BEANS, NESOI

MT 459 709.4 459 709.4 0 0.0 -- --

Turkey 0713395170 - BEANS,

CRANBERRY

MT 178 282.5 89 141.3 0 0.0 -- --

Turkey 0713335020 - DK

RD KIDNEY BNS

MT 22 20.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 -- --

Turkey Garbanzos MT 3,976 4,661.7 3,404 4,042.2 550 625.6 -84 -85

Turkey 0713202000 - GARBANZOS

MT 3,976 4,661.7 3,404 4,042.2 550 625.6 -84 -85

Grand Total

MT 17,782 23,885.0 12,978 20,036.1 9,691 7,502.3 -25 -63


Turkish Domestic Production and Import Needs for Do mestic Consumption and Re-Export Markets Source: Turkish Trade Estimates It is generally agreed that Turkish production of all pulses is gradually decreasing, making Turkey, which was once a net exporter of dry legumes, now a net importer. This is especially true of domestic production of white sira beans, but the trend can also be seen in the slow decline of garbanzos when compared with ten years ago. The reasons for the decline are numerous: a lack of an effective national agricultural policy, the shrinking size of farms, seed degeneration, an absence of research into seed improvement, and more profitable, competing crops. Market Notes • Although 60% of the Turkish domestic market for pulses is controlled by retail chains,

and only 40% by small neighborhood shops, retail dry packages still represent only 25% of the market, while 75% remains in open sacks.

• The Turkish trade remarked that competition from discount stores such as BIM (over 4,300 outlets throughout Turkey) is putting traditional supermarkets and hypermarkets under pressure, with losses suffered by chains such as Migros, Carrefour, and Metro.

Turkish Local Production & Imports for Domestic Consumption & Re-Exports - 2015 Local Production Imports (for d omestic

consumption & re-exports) White Beans 100,000 – 150,000 MT 50,000 MT Speckled Beans 1,500 (cranberry-type) maximum 12,000 MT Garbanzos 300,000 - 350,000 MT

(excluding garbanzos for roasting)

40,000 MT


Turkey’s Refugee Situation and its Impact on Pulse Imports The 2015 Turkish Trade team met with several companies that bid on food aid contracts offered by the World Food Program, the Red Cross and other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that work in the refugee camps of the region. There are currently an estimated 3 million refugees on Turkey’s borders with Iraq and Syria. These people are provided with “family pack” food boxes, generally consisting of rice, bulgur wheat, sugar, white beans, garbanzos, red lentils, green lentils, sunflower oil, tomato paste, vermicelli, pasta and salt. The food aid business is becoming vastly lucrative for Turkish companies, commanding 20% to 40% of their total business.

Turkey now has some 3 million refugees on its borders.


Turkey Trade Mission November 7 – 15, 2015

The group will be accompanied by Johanna Stobbs (USDBC) and

Feray Alpay & Jack Jacob (Promedia PR Agency)

PROGRAM November 07 – Saturday Arrive Istanbul – airport pick-up & transfer to Hyatt

Regency Atakoy Hotel Accommodation at Hyatt Regency Atakoy Hotel –

Istanbul http://istanbulatakoy.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.

html November 08 – Sunday Istanbul Briefing Session/Welcome Dinner, Sunday

evening. Accommodation at Hyatt Regency Atakoy Hotel –

Istanbul

November 09 – Monday 11:00 a.m. MARKA TRADING

Pulse importer/broker/agent Tel. + 90 216 411 9275 Fax + 90 216 411 9277 Cell: + 90 532 233 3484 Contact: Ahmet Kiziltan Address: 19 Mayıs mah. Atatürk Cad. Akdeniz sitesi A1 Blok No: 68, Kat:4, Daire:9 Erenköy, Istanbul Turkey Email: [email protected] Website: www.markatrading.com

03:00 p.m. Visit to a Migros supermarket in Istanbul to conduct a

store-check.


04:30 p.m. TEKINLER TRADE / PIRLANTA PULSES

Pulse importer and dry packager Address: Genş Osman Mah. Armağan Sk. No. 25 Güngören, Istanbul Turkey Contacts: Mr. Fatih Tekin Tel. + 90 324 235 7533 Fax + 90 324 235 7537 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tekinler.com

November 10 – Tuesday 10:00 a.m. ARAL CO. Pulse importer and dry packager

Address: Tat Binası Sile Otoyolu 11. Km. Taşdelen, Istanbul Turkey Tel. + 90 0216 4844270 Fax + 90 0216 484 4276 Contacts: Zafer Aral, CEO Ismet Aral, General Manager Didem Aral, Purchasing Manager Email: [email protected] Website: www.aralfood.com

03:20 p.m. Travel from Istanbul to Adana by plane Flight #: TK (Turkish Airlines) TK2466 04:55 p.m. Airport pickup and transfer to Hilton Hotel in Mersin 06:00 p.m. Arrival Mersin. Accommodation at Hilton Hotel, Mersin.


November 11 – Wednesday 09:30 a.m. MEMISOGLU CO.

Pulse importer and dry packager Address: Adana Mersin Yolu Yenitaskent mevkii, 12 Km. Mersin Turkey Tel. + 90 324 454 04 04 Fax + 90 324 454 04 06 Contacts: Veysel Memis,

Ms. Tuba Memis, Assistant General Manager Ms. Kumsal Taylar, Foreign Trade Manager

Email: [email protected] Website: www.tatbakliyat.com

11:30 a.m. MEMĐSLER CO.

Pulse importer and dry packager Address: Cilek Mah. 1448, Sk #183 Mersin Turkey Contacts: Sabahattin Memiş, Director Cemil Taylan Dama, Marketing Manager Tel. + 90 324 234 96 66 Fax + 90 324 234 96 68 Cell + 90 (0) 532 613 7555 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.memisler.com.tr

02:30 p.m. BAYAMTAS GROUP Pulse importer, trader and dry packager

Address: Mucahitler cad No:24 Adana Mersin yolu Kazanlı Kavşağı Mersin Turkey Contact: Naci Bayam, Chairman Tel. + 90 324 221 3700 Cell + 90 532 726 6620 Fax + 90 324 221 3710 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bayamtas.com.tr Accommodation at Hilton Hotel, Mersin.


November 12 – Thursday 09:30 a.m. D ĐYABLAR

Pulse importer and trader Address: Uray Caddesi 5206, Sokak N°3/2 33060 Mersin Turkey Contact: Şükrü Diyab, Chairman Tel. + 90 (0) 324 233 1666 Fax + 90 (0) 324 233 16 36 Cell +90 (0) 532 212 5104 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diyablar.com.tr

01:00 p.m . ORIS – PINARSAN

Pulse importer and dry packager Address: Dikilitas Yolu, Cumhuriyet Caddesi No 6 Mersin Turkey Contact: Izzet Kayapinar, General Director Cell: +90 (0) 532 154 7474 Tel. + 90 (0) 324 221 3822 Fax + 90 (0) 324 221 3826 Cell + 90 (0) 532 154 7474 Email: [email protected] Website: www.pinarsan.com

03:00 p.m. ARBEL CO.

Pulse importer Address: Kazanli Mahallesi, Cumhuriyet Bulvari 73/4 33281 Akdeniz Mersin Turkey Contacts: Hüseyin Arslan, Executive Chairman Mohamed Babiker Makki, Imports and Sales Director Tel. + 90 (0) 324 241 1111 Fax + 90 (0) 324 451 3201 Cell + 90 (0) 530 341 5033 Email: [email protected] Website: www.arbel.com.tr

Accommodation at Hilton Hotel, Mersin.


November 13 – Friday 09:00 a.m. Check out from Hilton Hotel 9:30 a.m. TEKINLER TRADE / PIRLANTA PULSES

Pulse importer and dry packager Address: Cilek District 139, Street 11/A, Mersin Turkey Contacts: Mr. Hüseyin Tekin Tel. + 90 324 235 7533 Fax + 90 324 235 7537 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tekinler.com

10:30 a.m. Travel from Mersin to Adana Airport 12:45 p.m. Travel from Adana to Istanbul by plane Flight #: TK (Turkish Airlines) TK 2461 01:10 p.m. Pick-up from Airport to Hyatt Regency Hotel

Accommodation at Hyatt Regency Atakoy Hotel, Istanbul.

November 14 – Saturday M. Calloway and C. Allen depart November 15 – Sunday J. Stobbs departs Cell phone telephone numbers: Johanna Stobbs: + 33 6 14 11 04 19 Jack Jacob: + 90 (0) 532 286 7274 Feray Alpay: + 90 (0) 533 373 6267


Meeting Notes ARBEL Address: Kazanli Mahallesi Cumhuriyet Bulvari 73/4 33281 Akdeniz Mersin, Turkey Tel. + 90 (0) 324 241 1111 Fax + 90 (0) 324 451 3201 Cell + 90 (0) 530 341 5033 Contacts: Hüseyin Arslan, Executive Director Mohamed Babiker Makki, Imports and Sales Director Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.arbel.com.tr

Arbel, part of the Alliance Grain Traders Group, is one of the largest pulse importers/exporters in Turkey, serving clients in the US, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. It is estimated that Arbel processes and trades 100,000 MT of lentils per year, as well as 30,000 MT of garbanzos and 30,000 MT of dry beans. The company is also highly successful with its Arabella pasta products. The Arbel Mersin operation comprises 1 million sq. ft. of land, 38,000 MT of storage capacity in steel silos and more than 50,000 MT of storage in warehouses. Arbel production facilities include cleaning, calibration, peeling, splitting and color sorting for red lentils, green lentils, garbanzos, white beans, bulgur wheat, pasta/macaroni, semolina, durum wheat and wheat flour.

From left: Mohamed Babiker Makki (Arbel), Cindi Allen (USDBC), Melva Calloway (USDBC), Johanna Stobbs (USDBC) and Hüseyin Arslan (Arbel).


�� Arbel is the principal supplier of white beans to the World Food Program and the Red Cross in Turkey. This year, WFP is calling for larger white beans, with precise criteria for weight and size.

�� The Trade Team was able to find out whether US Great Northern beans might meet

these specifications. US Great Northern beans have a seed count of 312/100 grams and a hectoliter weight of 902.84 grams. Unfortunately, the WFP specifications call for a larger white bean. Arbel will supply these from Kyrgyzstan.

Product interests: • Great Northern beans • garbanzos


ARAL Address: Tat Binasi, Sile Otoyolu 11 Km. Tasdelen Mah. Sim Celik Bulvari No 7 Cekmekoy 34788 Istanbul, Turkey Tel. + 90 0216 484 42 70 Fax + 90 0216 484 42 76 Contact: Zafer Aral, CEO Contact: Ismet Aral, General Manager Contact: Ms. Didem Aral, Purchasing Manager Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.aralfood.com Aral is a leading Turkish import-dry packaging company, specializing in pulses, rice and sugar. A top-quality operation, Ismet Aral, the General Manager, is the President of the Turkish Packers Association, whose members constitute 95% of the Turkish dry packaging industry. Ismet Aral is also on the Turkish IYOP Committee and is very active in planning activities in Turkey for the International Year of Pulses. Founded in 1982, Aral has processing facilities in Mersin and Keşan-Edirne, with head offices in Istanbul. The company is ISO and HACCP-certified. Aral packages a wide range of products, including garbanzos, US Great Northern beans, US dark red kidney beans and Turkish white sira beans. This year, the company bought US dark red kidney beans for the Turkish canning sector, as well as the dry packaging sector.

The company markets its own brands, Kiler (“kitchen” in Turkish) and Noba (an up-market, premium brand, in laminated packaging). With the decline in the market share of supermarkets and hypermarkets in Turkey, due to fierce competition from discount outlets such as BIM, Aral is now increasingly focused on the food service sector, supplying product in 25 kg. bags to restaurants and institutions.

From left: Ismet Aral, Didem Aral, Melva Calloway (USDBC), Zafer Aral, Johanna Stobbs (USDBC) and Cindi Allen (USDBC).


The Aral dry packaging business is comprised of: rice – 55% red lentils (whole & split) – 25% white beans – 10% garbanzos – 5% green lentils – 3% speckled beans – 2%

Product interests: • Great Northern beans • 9 mm-10 mm garbanzos • cranberry beans • dark red kidney beans


BAYAMTAS Address: Kazanli Kavsagi Akdeniz 33100 Mersin, Turkey Contact: Naci Bayam, CEO Tel. + 90 (0) 324 221 3700 Fax + 90 (0) 324 221 3710 Cell + 90 (0) 532 726 6620 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bayamtas.com.tr

Bayamtas is a third-generation Mersin-based pulse, rice and spice importer and processor, founded in 1945. The company has two plants in Mersin and processes approximately 200 MT of product per day.

Bayamtas cleans and packs all types of dry legumes and splits red lentils. The company markets two major retail brands: Anadolu and Baytat, which are found in nation-wide hypermarket and supermarket chains such as Carrefour, BIM and Kipa.

The company buys, processes and packages 10,000 MT per year of pulses, including 2,000 MT of white beans and 2,000 MT of garbanzos. The white beans are from Canada, Argentina and Kyrgyzstan. Bayamtas has also bought Great Northern beans from the US, used both in the domestic market and for re-export.

50% of the business is in exports, 30% in the domestic market, and 20% in food aid. The company has recently completed construction of a new rice mill and a new red lentil splitting plant in Mersin. Bayamtas uses per year:

• white beans – 5,000 MT (Egypt, Argentina, US) • garbanzos – 10,000 MT (Mexico, India, Russia, US) • rice – 20,000 MT • red lentils – 100,000 MT (Turkey) • green lentils – 5,000 MT (Canada)

From left: Melva Calloway (USDBC), Cindi Allen (USDBC), Naci Bayam (Bayamtas) and Johanna Stobbs (USDBC).


�� Naci Bayam, the CEO, expressed interest in US Great Northern beans for a January shipment. He would also like offers for pinto beans, which he would use in the food service sector.

�� In addition, he asked for a price for cranberry beans and is awaiting information. �� In 2016, he will be in contact earlier during the crop year for US garbanzos, looking

for 8.5mm, dark colored beans for the Turkish roasting sector. Product interests:

• Great Northern beans (January 2016 shipment) • garbanzos • pinto beans • cranberry beans


DĐYABLAR Address: Uray Caddesi 5206, Sokak N°3/2 33060 Mersin Turkey Contact: Şükrü Diyab, Chairman Tel. + 90 (0) 324 233 1666 Fax + 90 (0) 324 233 16 36 Cell +90 (0) 532 212 5104 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diyablar.com.tr

Diyablar is a family-owned trading company, founded in 1934, with a turnover of $20 million. It trades rice, bulgur wheat, spices, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazel nuts, pistachios and popcorn, but also all types of pulses, including dry beans and garbanzos. The company has its own processing facility and warehouses in Mersin, as well as warehouses in the Mersin Free Zone. Diyablar re-exports to Syria, Iraq and Iran, but is also active in importing for the Turkish domestic market, especially white beans such as Great Northerns and garbanzos for roasting. �� This year the company bought US garbanzos, 8.5mm-9mm, Sierra-type, for the

roasting sector. Product interests: • Great Northern beans • cranberry beans

From left: Melva Calloway (USDBC), Cindi Allen (USDBC), Şükrü Diyab (Diyablar) and Johanna Stobbs (USDBC).


MARKA TRADING Company address: 19 Mayis Mah. Sultan sk. Deniz ap. N° 26/8 Erenköy, Istanbul Turkey Contact: Mr. Ahmet Kiziltan, Managing Director Contact: Ergun Baskaya, Domestic Sales Contact: Ms. Bilgen Yazgan, Purchasing Tel. + 90 216 411 9275 Fax + 90 216 411 9277 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.markatrading.com Marka Trading specializes in pulses, rice, sunflower seeds, coffee and wheat flour. It was founded in 2009. Ahmet Kiziltan, Ergun Baskaya and Bilgen Yazgan were all formerly of the Doruk Group, a major flour mill and processing company with annual sales of over $250 million. Doruk Group has now been sold to the Ülker Group, one of the largest grocery product manufacturers in Turkey. The three partners formerly ran Doruk’s pulse division, which was called Ivme Foods. The company works on the basis on an emailed photo of a product, a price quote and finally, a sample. Marka Trading is the n°1 brokerage firm in Turkey f or pulses, and is well-known among Turkish importers, dry packagers and canners. It also works as an exclusive import agent for a number of clients.

From left: Kivanc Baskaya (Marka Trading), Jack Jacob (Promedia), Ergun Baskaya (Marka Trading), Ahmet Kiziltan (Marka Trading), Bilgen Yazgan (Marka Trading), Cindi Allen (USDBC), Melva Calloway (USDBC) Johanna Stobbs (USDBC) and Feray Alpay (Promedia).


Ahmet Kiziltan told the Trade Team that the Turkish garbanzo bean crop had too many small-size beans and that demand for garbanzos will continue into 2016, with traders looking for 9mm and 10mm. �� Marka has already bought US Great Northern beans this year and is awaiting

shipments to arrive. A. Kiziltan estimates that the US could sell as much as a total of 10,000 MT of Great Northerns to Turkey from the 2015 crop, since domestic sira bean prices remain high.

�� Marka also expressed interest in cranberry beans and asked for offers. Product interests: • Great Northern beans • garbanzos • cranberry beans


MEMĐSLER Address: Cilek Mah. 6355 Sok. No 183 Mersin, Turkey Contacts: Sabahattin Memis, Director Cemil Taylan Dama, Marketing Manager Tel. + 90 (0) 324 234 9666 Fax + 90 (0) 324 234 9668 Cell + 90 (0) 532 613 7555 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.memisler.com.tr Memişler is one of the top five Turkish pulse companies. Founded in 1971, it specializes in rice and pulses. The company added lump-sugar to its business mix in 1992. In 1996 it opened its own trading company in the Mersin Free Zone. The company sources both locally and world-wide. It cleans, sorts and packages, and is active in international imports and exports, with half of its business going to the domestic market and half to the export market. Memişler has its own retail brand called “Ideal’, but does private label packaging as well. It also supplies the Turkish canning industry. In terms of dry bean volume, Memişler is one of the leading companies in Turkey. Memişler normally buys garbanzos from Mexico for direct shipment to the UAE. The company also takes approximately 20 containers every year of Great Northern beans from the US and Canada (Alberta-type for seed). Memisler participates in World Food Program tenders, NGO tenders and tenders issued by the Iraqi government.

From left: Cemil Taylan Dama (Marketing Manager, Memisler), Melva Calloway (USDBC), Johanna Stobbs (USDBC) Cindi Allen (USDBC) and Sabahattin Memis (Director, Memisler).


�� Sabahattin Memis remarked that the food aid business is increasing in Turkey. Fully 40% of Memisler’s business is now in food aid. Around five or six Turkish companies are consistently bidding on food aid tenders, with contracts averaging $1 million each. The products needed for food aid are rice, red lentils, green lentils garbanzos and, recently added, white beans.

�� Memisler is not interested in US Great Northern beans for the moment, as S.

Memis estimates that the sira bean crop was good and that Turkey has sufficient volumes. The company recently bought Ethiopian pea beans for food aid contracts and is interested in receiving offers for n°2 navy beans. The company can take thresher-run beans.

�� Other interests include cranberry beans and pinto beans. The pintos would be offered to the food service sector.

Product interests: • N° 2 navy beans, thresher-run • pinto beans • cranberry beans • garbanzo beans


MEMISOGLU Address: Adana Mersin Yolu Yenitaskent mevkii 12 Km. Mersin, Turkey Tel. + 90 324 454 04 04 Fax + 90 324 454 04 06 Cell + 90 533 424 19 18 Contacts: Veysel Memis, Member of the Board Ms. Tuba Memis, Assistant General Manager Ms. Kumsal Taylar, Foreign Trade Manager Email: [email protected] Website: www.tatbakliyat.com Tat Bakliyat Memisoglu is a family-owned company that began trading in food products in 1977. It relaunched itself under its present name in 1991 and began a program of dynamic growth. The company specializes in rice and all types of pulses, which it purchases both locally and internationally. Memisoglu cleans and sorts product, and repackages to customer requirements. The company is very active in international imports and exports. Memisoglu has its own retail brand “Tat”, which means ‘taste’ in Turkish (‘bakliyat’ means ‘pulses’) and is found in all major retail outlets, such as Carrefour hypermarkets and Real supermarkets. Memisoglu is also active in private label packaging. The company, which began as a small grocery shop, was founded by six Memis brothers in 1977. Over the past 38 years, there has been a great deal of growth. Today Memisoglu employs over 200 people and has four processing plants in Mersin for lentils, bulgur wheat, rice, dry beans and garbanzos. The company has just recently opened a new plant in Mersin, with extensive warehousing facilities. Memisoglu has sales offices in Istanbul and Izmir, and 30 small regional offices for distribution. Last year the company traded 90,000 MT (all products combined).

From left: Kumsal Taylar (Foreign Trade Manager), Tuba Memis (Assistant General Manager), Veysel Memis (Member of the Board), Johanna Stobbs (USDBC), Melva Calloway (USDBC) and Cindi Allen (USDBC).


A major player in the domestic market, 75% of Memisoglu’s business is in retail and foodservice, while 25% is in the re-export market. �� This year, Memisoglu imported 10 FCLs of pinto beans for the food service sector

and will soon be in the market for an additional purchase. Uniform sizing of the beans will be important.

�� The company feels that now that the national elections are over, the Turkish

economy will begin to move forward and pulse consumption will improve, especially in the spring months of 2016, in preparation for Ramadan in June.

�� There is a strong interest in large-size garbanzos for roasting. Memisoglu is

currently looking for 10mm garbs.

�� Active in the food aid sector, the company is also seeking n°2 navy beans and is asking for offers.

Product interests: • garbanzos (dark color, 10mm) • n° 2 navy beans • pinto beans


ORIS – PINARSAN Address: Dikilitas Yolu Cumhuriyet Caddesi No 6 Mersin, Turkey Contact: Izzet Kayapinar General Director Tel. + 90 (0) 324 221 3822 Fax + 90 (0) 324 221 3826 Cell + 90 (0) 532 154 7474 Email: [email protected] Website: www.pinarsan.com Oris-Pinarsan is an import-export company, specializing in packaging and distribution. Founded in 1983 by six brothers, this family-owned company is ISO-certified. It has two plant facilities: the Oris plant deals in pulse and rice products for the Turkish military and the domestic market, while the Pinarsan plant is for import-export. The company imports pulses and rice from the US, Canada, Italy, Iraq and Egypt. It is particularly strong in the rice and red lentil sector. It supplies whole green dry peas to the canning industry for the military, as well as garbanzos for the Turkish roasting industry. Product interests: • garbanzos, 10mm • Great Northern beans

From left: Melva Calloway (USDBC), Izzet Kayapinar (Oris-Pinarsan), Johanna Stobbs (USDBC) and Cindi Allen (USDBC).


TEKINLER TRADE / PIRLANTA Address: Cilek District 139, Street 11/A, Mersin Turkey Contacts: Mr. Hüseyin Tekin, General Manager Mr. Omer Faruk Terzioglu, Purchasing Mr. Fatih Tekin, Distribution Tel. + 90 324 235 7533 Fax + 90 324 235 7537 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.tekinler.com The Trade Team made two visits to Tekinler, one to the company’s dry packaging distribution offices in Istanbul, the other to its Purchasing offices in Mersin. Tekinler is an import and dry packaging company, founded in 1991, with a turnover of $32 million. 55% of its business is in the food service sector. It has three processing plants in Mersin, and warehouses in the Free Zone and the industrial zone. It deals principally in rice, lentils and dry beans, in particular white beans such as the Turkish sira bean and US Great Northerns.

Meeting with the Tekinler Company in Istanbul. From left: Cindi Allen (USDBC), Melva Calloway (USDBC), Fatih Tekin (Tekinler), Johanna Stobbs (USDBC) and Jack Jacob (Promedia).

Meeting with the Tekinler Company in Mersin. From left: Johanna Stobbs (USDBC), Hüseyin Tekin (Tekinler), Omer Faruk Terzioglu (Tekinler), Cindi Allen (USDBC) and Melva Calloway (USDBC).


Its dry packaged brand is called Pirlanta, which means ‘diamond’ in Turkish. Pirlanta products are exported to Europe, North and South America, North Africa and the Middle East. In Turkey, Pirlanta can be found in Istanbul supermarket chains such as Onur Cağri and Bicen, as well as in corner shops. �� Tekinler normally imports alubia-type beans from Argentina and Egypt, and

garbanzos from Mexico and India. �� The company has already bought sizeable volumes of Canadian Alberta-type Great

Northern beans for seed this year, but will be in the market for US Great Northern beans in the spring, when the Turkish sira bean crop has reached its end. Tekinler is also interested in receiving samples and quotes for cranberry beans and would take 5 FCLs, if the cranberries could be sized for uniformity.

Product interests: • Great Northern beans • cranberry beans

Tekinler processing plant, Mersin.


Store-Check Visit – Migros Supermarket, Istanbul

Istanbul supermarkets are generally well-stocked with packaged and canned dry beans.

Migros own-label Turkish garbanzos.

Migros own-label “dermason’ white beans, which are a type of sira bean and similar to Great Northern beans.

‘Pilaki’, a Turkish specialty, made of cranberry-type beans in a special sauce. Pilaki is served cold, as a starter.


Going Forward in 2016 The Global Pulse Confederation Conference will be held in Turkey in 2016 (Çeşme, May 19-22). The focal point of this Conference will be the International Year of Pulses. The President of the GPC, Hüseyin Arslan, is also one of the chairmen of the Turkish IYOP Committee. It is expected that all of the participating countries at GPC, in particular Turkey, the host country, will put on a strong demonstration in support of pulses, with videos and presentations showing the many research and promotional activities that will be carried out around the world throughout the year In terms of 2016 US dry bean trade to Turkey, the US can expect exports of Great Northern beans to pick up in the spring and may also see US cranberry beans going into this market for the first time in many years. Turkey will also be interested in the US garbanzo crop of 2016 and, depending on its own domestic production, may start buying earlier in the season, since it entered the market too late in 2015. US garbanzos for roasting remain the principal item.


Recommendations • It is recommended that the US Dry Bean Council continue to actively engage in trade

servicing activities in the Turkish market, despite the very serious setbacks caused by the defaults of 2014.

• We believe that Trade Missions and Trade Visits provide a unique opportunity to

discuss US crop conditions, price estimates and product availability in a completely open and frank forum.

• Starting from a base of virtually zero ten years ago, the US is now considered one of

the principal exporters of pulses to Turkey. This is the result of consistent and effective marketing on the part of the US Dry Bean Council.

Marketbase November 24, 2015

View of the port of Mersin, gateway to Turkey and a hub for re-exports.

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