The maturation of Turkey's hazelnut crop brings a long and difficult journey for many seasonal workers in Turkey's eastern and southeastern regions. Workers coming from Diyarbakır, for example, have a trip of nearly 32 hours to reach the Arifiye Train Station in Sakarya. Thousands of seasonal laborers coming from Diyarbakır as well as other provinces such as Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Batman and many more make their way to Sakarya, Düzce, Ordu and Giresun to harvest hazelnuts for a wage of TL 20-25 daily.
So far, 600 workers have traveled on the Güneydoğu Express and the special “hazelnut train” -- a line the TCDD started last year just to carry hazelnut laborers during the harvest season -- to Sakarya this season. On Wednesday evening alone, 270 workers traveled to Sakarya on the Güneydoğu Express. The workers bring their families -- children, luggage and even some furniture -- and unload their belongings from the freight cars before boarding buses to take them to the fields.
Arifiye Train Station manager Sinan Bilici said 10 special train lines are serving hazelnut laborers and their families this year and that they expect between 6,000 and 7,000 workers to travel to Sakarya. This year the trains are more prepared, with air-conditioned cars, he said, noting: “There's also a private doctor serving the trains. Not many workers have arrived yet. A special train arriving [yesterday brought in] another 600 people. Last year, 10,000 workers came, but we expect this year's figure to be between 6,000 and 7,000.”
İbrahim Naz, one of 15 people traveling together from Siirt to Sakarya to work, says the journey is a tough one. Every year he comes with his wife and children to work the hazelnut orchards, he said, continuing: “We're working for our children's future; we're struggling to win our bread. With the money we earn here, we meet our winter needs.” Naz said he hoped there would be a wage increase from the TL 20 a day he made last year. Meanwhile, police officers on duty at the train station checked workers' identification one by one as part of security measures.
Hazelnut trains ferry workers to groves
Every summer, the Kurtulan Express departs the Batman Train Station carrying nearly 1,000 workers and their families to the Black Sea and other regions to work in hazelnut orchards. Men and women of all ages choose to travel by train despite the time and difficulty of the journey because it is a cheaper option than buses. Since the train fare is cheaper, the workers can bring more family members with them, therefore bringing in more income at the orchards. Still, the travelers complain that even the trains are too expensive for them, with the round trip fare for a six-person family coming out to TL 480. As soon as the train boarding whistle is sounded, the train station is whipped into a frenzy as people try to rush inside the cars, with some attempting to throw in flour, sugar and their mattresses through the windows. Family members sending off workers to the fields are often tearful at the prospect of their months-long separation.
