Turkey’s Oilseed Market Expands but Import Dependence Remains High

CMB News | Oilseeds & Vegetable Oils | March 2026

Turkey’s oilseed sector is expected to expand moderately in the coming marketing year, supported by improved weather conditions and rising feed demand from the livestock and poultry sectors. However, despite the projected increase in domestic production, the country will remain heavily dependent on imports of oilseeds and vegetable oils to satisfy domestic consumption and export demand.

The latest USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report from Ankara highlights that Turkey’s oilseed production will rise slightly in the 2026/27 marketing year, while consumption and imports continue to grow in response to expanding feed and food demand.

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Oilseed Production Expected to Increase

Turkey’s oilseed production – mainly sunflowerseed, soybeans, and cottonseed – is forecast to reach nearly 2.6 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2026/27, driven primarily by increased sunflower production.

Turkey Oilseed Production Outlook

Crop	MY 2026/27 Production
Sunflowerseed	~1.55 MMT
Soybeans	~160,000 MT
Cottonseed	~900,000 MT

The expansion is supported by improved rainfall conditions after two years of drought, although irrigation constraints remain a risk in several regions.

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Sunflowerseed Remains the Dominant Oilseed

Sunflowerseed remains Turkey’s most important oilseed crop.

Sunflowerseed Supply (MY 2026/27)

Indicator	Volume
Production	~1.55 MMT
Imports	~900,000 MT
Crush	~2.15 MMT
Domestic consumption	~2.35 MMT

Farmers are expected to expand sunflower acreage to around 760,000 hectares, particularly in regions facing water shortages where drought-resistant crops are preferred.

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Soybean Imports Reach Record Levels

Turkey’s domestic soybean production remains relatively small compared with consumption.

Turkey Soybean Market (MY 2026/27)

Indicator	Volume
Production	160,000 MT
Imports	~4.35 MMT
Crush	~3.1 MMT
Domestic consumption	~4.35 MMT

Imports are expected to hit a record level, reflecting strong demand for soybean meal used in poultry and aquaculture feed.

Major suppliers include:

• United States
• Ukraine
• Brazil

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Feed Demand Drives Oilseed Meal Consumption

Turkey’s rapidly expanding feed sector continues to push demand for oilseed meals.

Compound Feed Production in Turkey

Year	Production
2023	27.9 MMT
2024	29.3 MMT
2025	30.7 MMT

The growth is mainly linked to expanding poultry and livestock production. For example, chicken meat production increased 11% in 2025 to 2.8 MMT.

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Vegetable Oil Consumption Dominated by Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil remains the most widely consumed edible oil in Turkey.

Vegetable Oil Consumption (Human Use)

Oil Type	MY 2026/27
Sunflower oil	1.12 MMT
Olive oil	320,000 MT
Cottonseed oil	117,000 MT
Soybean oil	~2,000 MT
Total	1.56 MMT

Soybean oil consumption remains extremely low because Turkish biosafety regulations restrict the use of genetically engineered soybean oil in food products.

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Sunflower Oil Imports Continue to Rise

Turkey remains heavily reliant on imported sunflower oil and seeds, particularly from the Black Sea region.

Sunflower Oil Market (MY 2026/27)

Indicator	Volume
Production	936,000 MT
Imports	1.29 MMT
Exports	1.07 MMT
Domestic consumption	1.16 MMT

Imports during the current season have been dominated by suppliers from:

• Russia
• Ukraine

Russia alone accounted for more than 300,000 MT of imports during the first months of the marketing year.

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Olive Oil Production Set to Rebound

Turkey’s olive oil production is forecast to increase sharply in MY 2026/27 due to the natural cyclical yield pattern.

Olive Oil Market Outlook

Indicator	Volume
Production	400,000 MT
Domestic consumption	320,000 MT
Exports	90,000 MT

However, prices remain significantly higher than sunflower oil, limiting consumption among lower-income households.

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Strategic Outlook

Turkey is investing heavily in expanding its oilseed crushing and vegetable oil refining capacity. Total crushing capacity is estimated at around 9 MMT, while refining capacity is approximately 4.5 MMT.

Despite these investments, structural import dependence is likely to persist. Limited domestic oilseed production combined with strong demand from the food and feed sectors means that Turkey will continue to rely heavily on global suppliers.

Government policy will therefore remain focused on stabilising domestic prices through tariff adjustments and strategic imports, particularly for sunflower seeds and crude sunflower oil.

Source: USDA