A Turkish olive oil producer is set to launch what it describes as the world’s first “olive oil library,” dedicating the project to the late journalist Yücel Sönmez, whose legacy now shapes the initiative’s identity.
Developed by Sevilma Zeytinyağları, the Yüzcel Sönmez Olive Oil Library will open on March 29 in Orhanlı village in İzmir on Türkiye’s Aegean coast.
Sönmez, a former travel editor for Hürriyet Seyahat, died in June 2025, shortly after the concept was first shared with him. The library has been named in his honor.
Located within the Sevilma Garden, described as Türkiye’s first “Slow Food Farm,” the space brings together 75 varieties of olive oil from Anatolia and across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Rather than books, its shelves feature curated oils that visitors can explore through guided tastings.
Each variety is accompanied by information on its climate, soil conditions, production methods and cultural background, framing olive oil as more than a food product but an expression of geography and heritage.
The initiative is intended as a reference point for gastronomy professionals, researchers, producers and enthusiasts.
Sevilma founder Güven Eken said the project avoids ranking oils competitively, instead emphasizing their differences and culinary pairings. “Olive oil reflects the geography, ecology and culture it comes from,” he said.
Rooted in a 250-year agricultural tradition, Sevilma operates under agroecological principles and aims to preserve Anatolia’s long-standing olive cultivation heritage.
