Upon her arrival at the Turkish National Botanical Garden, First Lady Erdoğan was welcomed by Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, Deputy Minister Ahmet Bağcı and other officials.
First Lady Erdoğan toured the sapling production area and received information about the plant species grown here.
First Lady Erdoğan then moved on to the "Our Heritage Local Seed Garden", which was established in 2024 within the scope of the "Our Heritage Local Seed" project carried out under her auspices.
First Lady Erdoğan, who visited the garden where 24 different vegetables and fruits grown from ancestral seeds, received information about the growing processes of the products.
First Lady Erdoğan, who collected products such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, shamama melons, beans and corn in the basket in her hand, said, "We have harvested today." he said.
First Lady Erdoğan, who then went to the "Ornamental Plants Production Center", examined the species grown there and received information.
First Lady Erdoğan went to the "Soilless Agricultural Greenhouse" in the shape of an "igloo" and was informed about the production processes of products such as lettuce, basil, arugula, parsley and strawberries grown with the "nutrient film technique".
VISITED THE MUSEUM THAT TAKES ME ON AN ETHNOBIOLOGY JOURNEY OF ANATOLIA
First Lady Erdoğan, who also examined the area where the reverse cedar tree and other landscape plants are located, then visited the Agricultural Biodiversity Museum, which reveals the rich agricultural biodiversity of Anatolia.
First Lady Erdoğan closely examined the ethnobiological reflections of wild animals and cultivated plants, herbarium samples and agricultural products in the museum, which was registered as a "private museum" by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2024.
In the museum, which takes its visitors on the ethnobiology journey of Anatolia, First Lady Erdoğan talked about the plants and food products exhibited in the art galleries such as "Healing Plants: Nature's Pharmacy", "The Power of Scents: Plants Carrying Essential Oils", "From Seed to Drop: Plants from which Oil is Obtained", "Those That Add Flavor to Our Table: Spices and Food Plants", "Nature's Gold: Wheat and Grains". received information.
First Lady Erdoğan, who toured the area where plant and animal species that exist in ecosystems such as forests, steppes, meadows and pastures, are exhibited, also visited the section where artifacts such as musical instruments made from natural materials, arcadian prayer rugs and hand-woven carpets are exhibited.
First Lady Erdoğan also met with children in the museum's library. First Lady Erdoğan chatted with the children for a while and took a souvenir photo.
At the end of the visit, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı presented First Lady Erdoğan with a painting containing visuals of Türkiye's local wheat.
SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING BY EMINE ERDOĞAN
First Lady Erdoğan made the following statements in her post on her social media account after her visit to the Turkish National Botanical Garden:
"I was pleased to visit the National Botanical Garden, Türkiye's living plant memory, in Ankara. In this special nature and science center, where rare and endemic species from all over the country are brought together, the unique flora of Anatolia is protected and recorded through scientific studies. Our heritage is a very valuable asset for our future with its Local Seed Garden, Ornamental Plants Production Center, Soilless Agriculture Greenhouse and Agricultural Biodiversity Museum. My heartfelt wishes to everyone who works to protect our country's plant treasure." "I thank you."
- Türkiye NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN
The Turkish National Botanical Garden was established in 2023 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in order to fully transfer the biological heritage of the Anatolian geography to future generations, to protect endangered species and to establish a research base at international standards in botanical science.
The garden, which is a strategic nature and science center that builds Türkiye's living plant memory, is the largest botanical center in Türkiye and among the few botanical centers in Europe, with an area of approximately 2,200 decares.
The most critical scientific pillar of the Turkish National Botanical Garden is its "ex-situ (outside the natural habitat)" conservation studies and its "national herbarium".
Plant and macrofungal samples collected by expert botanists from mountains, valleys and coastlines all over Türkiye are preserved in this center by pressing, freezing and processing into digital databases in accordance with internationally accepted standards.
This archive, which hosts tens of thousands of specimens, serves as a basic reference library for researchers in taxonomic, phylogenetic and ecological studies.
In addition to the herbarium, the seed gene bank-related infrastructures, modern air-conditioned research and production greenhouses and nurseries established on the campus enable rare and endemic plants in danger of extinction to be reproduced and brought back into their natural habitats.
The garden, which is designed as a living culture and education area that carries the century-old accumulation of the Republic to the future and focuses on establishing ties with the society as well as scientific research, serves with the model of a "living environment and education ecosystem".
The Agricultural Biodiversity Museum, art galleries, temporary exhibition halls and thematic education workshops in the garden provide nature literacy to visitors of all ages, from children to academics.
