Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat has warned that if Afghan shepherds are expelled from the country, agriculture and animal husbandry will end.
Speaking in an interview with Sabah newspaper, Bolat said that there is a serious shortage of labor in Turkey, and the gap cannot be filled with foreign workers.
He said that there is a lot of produce but farmers cannot find workers to harvest.
According to him, there are 25,000 Afghan shepherds working in Turkey.
Bolat’s comments have caused controversy in Turkey which has been expelling Afghan migrants. The Ministry of Trade in a statement said that Bolat’s words were “distorted.”
