Implications of Biosafety Law in Turkey

Despite rapid industralization and urbanization since 1950s agriculture is still animportant economic sector in Turkey. However, agricultural productivity is relativelylow and needs to be increased by adopting modern agricultural practices includingtransgenic crops. The Biosafety Law which was enacted in September 2010 isinconsistent with the internationally accepted standards, including those in the EuropeanUnion, for the risk assessment, autorization and placing in the market of the geneticallymodified organisms. The Law bans the cultivation of genetically modified crops, andmakes it almost impossible to conduct research even in the field of medicalbiotechnology. This will indeed delay the adoption of agricultural biotechnology inTurkey which has been shown by early field trials to increase productivity in maize andcotton production.