Agriculture Law No.5488.

The purpose of this Law is to determine agricultural sector and rural development plans and strategies in line with the policies and regulations supporting agricultural development. This Law lays down procedures and principles of: (I) the purpose, scope and subjects of agricultural policies; (II) basic support programs with the aims and principles of agricultural support policies; (III) determination of the market regulations, financing and administrative structure for carrying out these programs; and (IV) legal and administrative regulations regarding priority research and development programs to be implemented in the agricultural sector. This Law states that the agricultural policies are aiming at improving welfare level in the agricultural sector by ensuring agricultural development, increasing productivity, strengthening food safety and security, protecting and improving natural and biological resources, developing producer organizations, strengthening agricultural market and ensuring rural development.
The priorities of agricultural policies are laid down in Article 6, as follows: (i) increasing efficiency, product diversity, quality and competitiveness in agricultural production, (ii) ensuring adequate and reliable food supply; (iii) developing the infrastructures of agricultural enterprises, (iv) expanding the use of information and appropriate technologies in agricultural activities; (v) developing agricultural input and product markets and ensuring production-market integration, (vi) meeting the credit and financing needs of the agricultural sector, (vii) taking support and extension measures, (viii) developing risk management mechanisms against natural disasters and animal diseases, (ix) ensuring rural development in socio-economic terms, (x) developing producer organizations, (xi) establishing and using agricultural information systems, (xii) carrying out land consolidation and land use planning and establishing large scale agricultural enterprises, (xiii) ensuring the development and rational use of land and water resources, and (xiv) administrative and legal regulations envisaged by the common market order in order to meet the needs arising from the developments in the harmonization process with the European Union.
This Law sets out provisions on agricultural research; training and advisory services for farmers; protection of biodiversity and genetic resources and biosecurity; support for producer organizations; development and dissemination of agricultural production under contract; determination of agricultural basins; rural development for improving agricultural and non-agricultural employment in rural areas, increasing and diversifying incomes, and increasing the education and entrepreneurship level of women and youth; the duties of the Agricultural Support and Guidance Committee; the purpose and principles of agricultural support; and the protection from pests and infectious diseases affecting plants and prevention of their spread in case of infection.
Article 19 lays down the means of agricultural support: direct income support, gap payment support, compensatory payments, livestock supports, agricultural insurance payments, rural development support, support for agricultural land protection programs for environmental purposes, and support payments for other purposes such as R&D, agricultural extension, warehousing, quality, marketing, organic farming and processing. Support will be given to owners of agricultural lands exposed to erosion and adverse environmental effects to encourage them to use their lands for natural vetegation, meadows, pastures, organic farming and afforestation.