An olive producer living in Didim has achieved international success, bringing home 13 quality awards in 2025, and placing the town’s olive on the world’s table.

Zeytinseli Zeytincilik, created by retired Didim notary Bekir İşlek, has been operating in the Akköy neighborhood since 2007.

Having achieved success in national and international table olive and olive oil quality competitions for years, the brand added 13 new quality awards in 2025, adding to the 54 awards it has won in recent years.

İşlek conducted field research in olive oil-producing countries like Italy, Morocco, and Tunisia before embarking on his olive farming adventure.

He also collaborated with industry associations, institutions, and producers in Türkiye to establish Zeytinseli’s core quality principles.

Thanks to this visionary approach, Zeytinseli quickly became a leading brand in organic production, both in Türkiye and globally.

Zeytinseli was awarded the title of “Best Olive Oil of Türkiye” at the BIOL XXVI International Prize held in Italy in 2021. Additionally, it was selected three times in 2016, 2017, and 2020 for the album “FLOS OLEI – A Guide to the World of Extra Virgin Olive Oil,” one of the world’s most prestigious olive oil guides, ranking among the world’s top 500 brands.

Zeytinseli has won awards in competitions held in numerous countries, including Japan, the US, the UK, Germany, and Italy, as well as prestigious organizations in Türkiye, such as Zeytindostu, OliveIstanbul, and Anatolia.

These achievements have earned Didim a total of 67 national and international quality awards. Since 2015, the brand has also been exporting table olives and olive oil to numerous countries, particularly the US, Germany, and Romania.

While proudly representing Didim’s name in the global olive industry, it has also expanded its product range over the years to include a variety of food and non-food products, including vinegar, jam, spices, wooden products, and natural skin care products.

Zeytinseli’s slogan, “Didim olives are the best in the world,” was born at the international OliveIstanbul Quality Competition held in Istanbul.

Zeytinseli’s Gemlik-type black olives achieved great success, winning the “Best of Category” and “Best of Istanbul” awards. This competition also featured prominent olive-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, and Spain. Zeytinseli’s success further demonstrated the global standing of Didim olives.

Zeytinseli plays an active role not only with its own brand but also in the branding processes of its producers.

While providing services in production, product supply, and packaging, it also shares the knowledge and experience it has gained with other producers. Bekir İşlek immortalized his expertise in this field in his book, “Olive Meltemler Sular Didim.”

Zeytinseli wholeheartedly believes that Didim olives, pickled using the correct methods and meticulously processed into oil, can achieve top rankings in any global competition.

Zeytinseli maintains its world-renowned olive oil brand with its organic production, sustainable agriculture, and high-quality standards. It presently has grows olives with 12,000 trees on 400 acres.

For further information about Zeytinseli, view www.zeytinseli.com.