5th Olive Istanbul International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Competition Committees

2026 OLIVE ISTANBUL IOC & IOOC

5th INTERNATIONAL EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL QUALITY COMPETITION COMMITTEES

By bringing together all segments of the olive and olive oil sector, producing solutions to industry issues with a common mind, and contributing to the development of Turkish olive cultivation, we established the Olive Oil Academy in Istanbul in 2019 with a core team formed from our 35 years of sectoral experience and with the goal of providing all necessary education and support to the industry.
The quality journey of olive oil is a reflection of every stage the olive undergoes—from the characteristics of the geography in which it is grown, agricultural practices, harvesting, processing, storage, and transportation. Quality is achieved through love, knowledge, patience, and effort; therefore, it is uniquely valuable.
Our aim is to lead the establishment of the intellectual and operational infrastructure necessary to ensure the rapid growth of the olive and olive oil sector together with all its main and subsidiary branches.
For this reason, together with the stakeholders gathered under the Olive Oil Academy, we aim to strengthen the structural power of Turkish olive cultivation; promote products; encourage branding; develop olive and olive oil production, consumption, and trade; register production; ensure producer–industry–domestic and international market integration; achieve harmonization with the EU Olive and Olive Oil Common Market Organization; develop strategic plans in light of market conditions and international developments; and prepare reports to present to society and relevant authorities.
In 2021, we began offering training programs to reach people from all segments of society interested in olives and olive oil and eager to learn more. Simultaneously, we published the first issue of our magazine “Zeytine Dair.”
One of the primary missions of the Olive Oil Academy is to organize International Table Olive and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Competitions. To improve ourselves, expand our perspective, attract consumer attention, and raise the quality bar in the sector—thus motivating producers—we organize OLIVE ISTANBUL IOC & IOOC, in which the world’s best olive oils compete. More than 60 committee members who are experts in olive oil from approximately 17 countries will participate. Oils produced through a year of effort will be prepared in accordance with competition rules and evaluated by Sensory Analysis Expert juries.
Additionally, a Competition Catalogue will be prepared featuring award-winning Table Olives and Extra Virgin Olive Oils. As part of our social responsibility efforts, this catalogue will be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the National Olive Council, Exporters’ Associations, and the Turkish Exporters Assembly; it will be featured in national media and advertised on national television.

We warmly embrace everyone who devotes passion and labor to olives and olive oil, and we hope to walk together toward many future successes.

Sincerely,
Dr. Abidin TATLI

OLIVE ISTANBUL IOOC 2026
5th INTERNATIONAL EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL QUALITY COMPETITION

OLIVE ISTANBUL IOOC 2026 is an International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Competition organized by the Olive Oil Academy.
The main purpose of the Olive Istanbul International Olive Oil Quality Competition—organized by the Olive Oil Academy, which unites all sectors of olive cultivation and generates joint solutions to industry challenges—is to encourage and reward quality in extra virgin olive oil production. Additionally, the competition aims to raise awareness in the following areas:

• Encouraging legally registered olive growers and producers to produce high-quality olive oil in all categories, guiding branded products to maintain consistent quality, and educating all relevant stakeholders regarding use and consumption.
• Informing new and young consumers (schools), professional chefs, gastronomy and culinary schools, and restaurants about the special value and healthy/nutritional properties of olive oil, which is the foundation of the Mediterranean diet.
• Supporting sensory analysis education to increase diversity in olive oil production and raise awareness of tasting differences.
• Restoring the lost prestige of olive oil in Türkiye and enabling it to reach the value it deserves—based on love, science, and quality—through this groundbreaking International Olive Oil Quality Competition.

Producers, enterprises, production facilities, producer cooperatives, unions, and individuals who produce, bottle, and legally sell branded extra virgin olive oil from the 2025–2026 harvest year (excluding bulk oil) may participate.
Samples must be in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil category only.

ORGANIZATIONAL & SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES

(The entire list of committees, jury members, titles, and countries is translated but preserved in original format for accuracy and official use. I will continue in the same structured format)

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Dr. Abidin Tatlı
Chairman Of The Organizing Committee- Türkiye
Dr. Kostas Liris Technical Director / Europe & America Representative – Greece
Dr. Ibrahim Sabouni Middle East & Africa Representative -Saudi Arabia
Prof. Dr. Aziz Tekin – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Renan Tunalıoğlu – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Imene Trabelsi Trıgui – Tunisia
Prof. Dr. Beraat Özçelik – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Gülcan Özkan – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Dilşat Bozdoğan Konuşkan – Türkiye

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE MEMBERS**

Uzm. Yasemin Mutlu Chairman Of The Organizing Committee – Türkiye
Tuğba Tuncay- Türkiye
Ümit Çelik – Türkiye
Dr. Farah Elgudayem – Tunısia
Yusuf Tatlı – Türkiye
Başak İkiz – Türkiye

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE MEMBERS**

Prof. Dr. Aziz Tekin Chair, Scientific Committee – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Renan Tunalıoğlu – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Imene Trabelsı Trıguı – Tunisia
Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Göğüş – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Beraat Özçelik – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Stella Vannucci – Argentina
Prof. Dr. Alejandra Galvan Gomez – Peru
Prof. Dr. Jorge Enrique Pereira – Uruguay
Prof. Dr. Gülcan Özcan – Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Abderraouf El Antari – Morocco
Prof. Dr. Gianfranco Vargas – Peru
Prof. Dr. Dilşat Bozdoğan Konuşkan – Türkiye

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Dr. Kostas Liris Chair, Technical Committee – Greece
Prof. Dr. Renan Tunalıoğlu- Türkiye
Serdar Öçten Ünsal – Türkiye
Cihan Devrim Avunduk- Türkiye

JURY MEMBERS

TÜRKİYE

Dr. Kader Çetin Chair Jury, Panel Leader
Dr. Dilşen Oktay Ertem
Dr. Elif Burçin Büyükgök
Dr. Şahnur Irmak
Dr. Cansu Demir
Hakan Gökalp

OTHER COUNTRIES

Dr. Kostas Liris Chair Jury, Panel Leader – Greece
Dr. Ibrahim Sabounıi- Saudi Arabıa
Prof. Dr. Abderraouf El Antari – Morocco
Prof. Dr. Alejandra Galvan Gomez – Peru
Prof. Dr. Gianfranco Vargas – Peru
Prof. Dr. Jorge Enrique Pereira – Uruguay
Dr. Kaouther B’chir Ben Hassine – Tunisia
Dr. Fayyad Ziuad -Jordan
Dr. Mohammed Hmidat – Palestine
Dr. Mokhtar Guissous – Algeria
Dr. Mirella Zanetic – Croatia
Dr. Laura Valverde Spínola – Spain
Dr. Chiara Fratoni – Italy
Gabriel Tarquínio Bertozzi – Braz,l
Yassen Hamdi – Egypt
Emmanuelle Dechelette – France
Raouf Choukett – Sweden

IMPORTANT NOTE
Olive Istanbul IOOC Organizing Committee reserves the right to make changes to all committees and jury members.

CONTACT / ADDRESS

5th International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Competition
Contact Information

Dr. Abidin TATLI
Uzm. Yasemin MUTLU

OLIVE OIL ACADEMY / OLIVE ISTANBUL IOOC
Synergia / Olivasa Eğitim Danışmanlık Ltd. Şti.
DAP Yapı Z Ofis Merkez Selim Mahallesi, Seçkin Sokak No: 2-4/A Floor 0, Office 95
34406 Kağıthane, Istanbul – TURKEY

DHL Subscriber Number: 343853578

www.oliveistanbuliooc.com
oliveistanbuliooc@gmail.com
info@oliveistanbuliooc.com
info@olivasa.com.tr

Phone:
+90 506 515 6360
+90 533 608 5089
+90 533 456 6360

Regional Coordinators
Dr. Kostas Liris         → +30 693 659 95 05 (Greece / Europe–America)
Dr. İbrahim Sabouni → +96 654 567 36 88 (Saudi Arabia / Middle East–Africa)