Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, which broke new ground by receiving four international awards for its trilogy of books "Balıkesir City of 50 Cheeses", "Balıkesir, Land of the Olive" and "Balıkesir, City of Bread", organized a magnificent launch event in Istanbul with the participation of gourmet writers and members of the press to introduce the books.

Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, which created a book series for cheese, olive and bread born in Anatolian soil, broke new ground by receiving four international awards with the trilogy of books "Balıkesir City of 50 Cheeses", "Balıkesir, Land of the Olive" and "Balıkesir, City of Bread" prepared by Neşe Aksoy Biber and Berrin Bal Onur. A new door was opened in the gastronomy world with the value chain created by the three books describing the flavor heritage of Balıkesir and the international success of the books. The award-winning trilogy describing the city's cheese, olive and bread culture was introduced to all stakeholders of the gastronomy industry with an experiential launch event organized by Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality in Istanbul. Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality brought together gastronomy experts, chefs and members of the press at this special event and hosted the culinary culture experience of Balıkesir, which has won the world's appreciation.

BALIKESİR'S GASTRONOMY TREASURE

The works prepared by Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality in collaboration with Neşe Aksoy Biber and Berrin Bal Onur have been included in the literature as valuable publications promoting the city's rich cheese, olive and bread culture internationally. In the panel titled "Balıkesir's Gastronomy Treasure" moderated by NTV Content Coordination Director Cengizhan Koca at the launch event in Istanbul, Mayor of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Yücel Yılmaz and authors Berrin Bal Onur and Neşe Aksoy Biber shared with the guests comprehensive information about the diversity and protection of Balıkesir's local flavors, how the microeconomy formed by gastronomic values can reach a level that will contribute to the national economy, and the city's rich culinary culture.

METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY RESPECTS CHEESE, OLIVE AND BREAD

Speaking at the panel, Berrin Bal Onur stated that for the first time in Türkiye, a city respects 3 ancient foods born in our lands; cheese, olive and bread with a cultural series consisting of books and said "This pride belongs to Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality." and thanked the municipality for its support.

WRITTEN INSPIRED BY THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE OF BALIKESİR

Neşe Aksoy Biber said; "Our book series is the product of a deep study carried out with Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, which has a wonderful vision and a great team behind it. These 3 books were written with the inspiration of the fertile lands and hardworking people of Balıkesir. It was our biggest wish that these books would make our country's riches more talked about, our local products more appreciated and consumed, and open the door to international studies."

"IF THE RAW MATERIAL OF A CITY IS GOOD, ITS CUISINE IS ALSO GOOD"

Emphasizing that Balıkesir has a rich food culture that combines all the beauties of both the Aegean and Marmara regions, Yücel Yılmaz, Mayor of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, said: "We are the city that feeds Türkiye with our honey, cream, cheese, olive oil, lamb and cheese. If the raw material of a city is good, its cuisine is also good. We have known and unproduced cheeses. We sponsor each of these cheeses separately, have them produced by our small producers and put them into consumption within the supply chain. But our most original agenda at the moment is to establish production bases in the municipality's own dairy farm together with the Governorship of Balıkesir, South Marmara Development Agency and NGOs. We are establishing their sales points in the districts that people visit the most, such as Havran, İvrindi and Sındırgı, which have a historical mission."

ORGANIC CITY BALIKESİR

Stating that Balıkesir is an organic city, Mayor Yücel Yılmaz said: "All the cheeses you see here are produced with the tradition practiced for centuries. Balıkesir is a gastronomically rich city. Türkiye's most delicious olive oil and the most delicious lamb can be found in Balıkesir. We know the producers of the cheese, olives, lamb and honey we eat in Balıkesir, Balıkesir is such a city. Our chestnut honey and pine honey have received worldwide awards."

BALIKESİR HONEY IS ALSO BEING PUBLISHED IN A BOOK

Giving good news at the panel, Mayor Yücel Yılmaz stated that they are planning to publish the honey book written by authors Neşe Aksoy Biber and Berrin Bal Onur in March, in which everything about honey is explained in all details and production in Balıkesir, which has 21 kinds of honey. 

"MAYOR YILMAZ MAKES BALIKESİR SHINE"

AK Party Balıkesir Deputy Mustafa Canbey, who attended the launch, said that gastronomy is a very growing and developing field and said, "In this sense, it is very important for Balıkesir to take part in this. It will continue to accelerate from now on. The efforts of our Metropolitan Mayor are really appropriate. This meeting is very meaningful. Balıkesir has a beautiful infrastructure. This infrastructure needs to be polished. Mayor Yılmaz is doing this in the best way possible and will continue to do so in the coming period."

"BALIKESİR WILL BE THE STAR OF TÜRKİYE"

AK Party Balıkesir Deputy İsmail Ok thanked Metropolitan Mayor Yücel Yılmaz for organizing great events to promote the values of Balıkesir, the city that feeds Türkiye and said: "We are very lucky because there is nothing that is not produced in Balıkesir. Products that prolong the life of people are produced. With the contributions of our Metropolitan Municipality, MPs and ministries, Balıkesir is taking firm steps towards becoming the star of Türkiye."

BALIKESİR IS A VERY RICH REGION

Stating that Balıkesir is located in a very rich region with its olives, cheese, bread and lamb, AK Party Balıkesir Provincial Chairman Mehmet Aydemir thanked Mayor Yücel Yılmaz for bringing these riches not only to Balıkesir but also to the international arena. 

AK Party Balıkesir Provincial Chairman Mehmet Aydemir, AK Party Balıkesir Deputies İsmail Ok and Mustafa Canbey, authors of the books Berrin Bal Onur and Neşe Aksoy Biber, gourmet authors Vahap Munyar, Ebru Erke, Fatoş Karahasan, Volkan Aki, Çisil Sohodol, Deniz Sipahi, Banu Şen, Orkun Bulut, Meliha Okur, Tuluhan Tekelioğlu, Yazgülü Aldoğan and members of the press attended the launch hosted by Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Yücel Yılmaz.