Turkey (Türkiye)

The species is Rosa damascena Mill., the same as the Bulgarian rose. Rose fields lie around the districts of Isparta and spill into neighbouring provinces such as Burdur, Afyonkarahisar and Denizli.

According to Gülbirlik, Isparta has about 35,000 decares of roses (about 3,500 ha). Around 3,000 households are union members; counting independent sellers, some 5,000 to 6,000 families live from the crop. The 2023 harvest was about 10,000 tonnes of blossom; the 2026 crop was expected at about 13,000 tonnes after adequate rain and mild weather.

Local press and Gülbirlik often state that Isparta supplies about 65% of the world's rose oil. This is an industry figure; no independent trade statistic confirming it was found.

Flowers are picked by hand from mid May into June, starting in the lowlands and moving up to higher ground. In 2024 picking began 15 to 20 days earlier than usual because of warm weather. Blossom is picked in the morning and delivered to buying points the same day; Gülbirlik runs about 40 collection points and three plants at Güneykent, Kılıç and İslamköy.

Gülbirlik's floor price for blossom in 2026 was 80 lira per kg, against 50 lira in 2023. Rose oil sold for about 12,000 euros per kg in both the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Picking dates can shift by several weeks between years, following spring temperatures.

Oil: blossom is water and steam distilled. About 4 tonnes of blossom gives 1 kg of oil, or about 250 grams per tonne. Distilled oil is rich in citronellol, geraniol and nerol, carries a stearoptene fraction (long chain hydrocarbons) that crystallises in the cold, and holds very little phenylethyl alcohol because that molecule stays in the distillate water.

Concrete: blossom is extracted with a non polar solvent such as hexane, and the solvent is evaporated to leave a fragrant waxy mass. Absolute is separated from the concrete with ethanol, the waxes are filtered out at low temperature, and the ethanol is evaporated. Rose absolute has phenylethyl alcohol as its main constituent, so it smells closer to the fresh flower than distilled oil.

For 2026, Gülbirlik targeted 300 to 350 kg of rose oil and about 1,500 kg of concrete from 12,000 to 13,000 tonnes of blossom bought. These are one organisation's figures, not the national total; many private firms in Isparta also distil and extract.

High prices make adulteration common: synthetic geraniol, citronellol or phenylethyl alcohol, geranium oil, palmarosa oil, or dilution with a carrier oil. ISO 9842 sets a chromatographic profile for Damask rose oil. Gas chromatography with chiral analysis of citronellol helps detect synthetics.

Isparta Gülyağı was registered as a geographical indication by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) on 7 March 2019, on application by the Isparta Commodity Exchange. An application for EU protection was filed in 2023 and published in the EU Official Journal on 26 February 2025 for a three month opposition period. As of November 2025, Isparta press reported that no registration decision had yet been made.

The name "Isparta Gülü" (Isparta rose) is also protected separately in Turkey.