Colemêrg- Turkey’s deepening economic crisis also affects honey producers. The beekeepers, who have placed their beehives in the mountains of Colemêrg (Hakkari), filled with wild flowers, says what they earn does not cover their expenses and that they cannot receive a recompense for their work.

She has been working as a beekeeper for 20 years

Muhabbet Beşer has been working as a beekeeper in the Deraw (Dereiçi) village of Hakkari’s Gever (Yüksekova) district for 20 years. Every year, beekeepers change the location of the beehives to have a good quality of honey; however, they cannot change the location this year due to the fuel prices hikes. At the beginning of 2023, Muhabbet Beşer placed her beehives in the mountains of Hatay; however, she had to return to Gever due to the earthquakes. She spends what she earns from honey for fuel and food due to the price hikes.

Muhabbet Beşer has placed her beehives in the mountain with wildflowers and checked her beehives three times a day. She spends summer and spring in Gever and winter in Hatay because the weather of Hatay is good for bees in winter. She broods about what she will do in winter due to price hikes and the rise in rental prices. “Everything was better before. We could earn a good income from honey; however, what we earn today cannot cover our expenses. I like being a beekeeper but we suffer from the price hikes. We make great efforts but our income is falling,” Muhabbet Beşer told us.

‘We spend what we earn to buy fuel’

Muhabbet Beşer does not know where she will go in winter to place her beehives. “Last winter, we were in Hatay when the earthquakes struck Turkey. After the earthquakes, we could not find even a tent to stay in for days. Then, we returned to Gever. In summer, Gever is good for bees because the flowers in the mountains are fresh and good for bees. But we do not know what we will do in winter. We spend what we earn to buy fuel. Honey is the only source of income for us.”

Speaking about how honey produced in Gever has a good quality, she said, “The honey produced in Gever is delicious and good quality. It is good for pain and protects the body against damage caused by bacteria.”