The situation of pomegranate and minor mediterranean fruits in Turkey

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the traditional fruits cultivated for centuries in Turkey. According to some literature, one of the native lands of pomegranate is Turkey, wild pomegranates were spread from Anatolia through Mediterranean countries. Because Turkey is an area of origin of the pomegranate there are different types and forms, and pomegranate has wide adaptation possibilities. Pomegranates are used for food as juice, for canning, for citric acid and animal feed, and for many industrial uses. The total pomegranate production of Turkey reached approximately 80 thousand tons in 2003. Turkey is an important pomegranate export country in the world. Zizyphus spp., Prunus lauricerasus L., Diospyrus lotus L., Pinus pinea L., Arbutus unedo L., Myrthus communis L., Pistacia lentiscus, Juniperus oxicedrus L., Crataegus azarolus L, Cornus mas L, Morus spp., Cydonia oblonga Mill. and Capparis spinosa were also grown for centuries as a traditional fruit in Turkey. These fruit species are grown as scattered trees or as roadside hedges or mixed with other fruit trees from the coastal to the mountainous areas