ISTANBUL, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish honey producers gathered in Istanbul on Friday for a three-day honey and bee products festival.

Brought together are the country's world-known honey and bee products, including sunflower in Thrace, Black Sea's chestnut, eastern Anatolia's thyme and citric honey in the Aegean region.

"The Istanbulites have the chance to buy or just taste all the different types of honey, which are all considered as important natural antibiotics," said Yusuf Edes, a honey producer.

Edes is running a family business in the eastern Anatolian province of Bingol, producing unprocessed honey on the hills as high as 1,800 meters.

Bee pollen rich in vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids and protein as well as bee propolis that helps combat cancer are among Edes's most popular products.

During the festival, workshops are to be organized for people to learn about the role of honey products in helping treat diseases and boost their immune systems.

Turkey reportedly exported 6,495 tons of honey to 45 countries in 2017, posting a rise of 60 percent in revenue and 79 percent in quantity.

"Turkey is a very important honey producer in the world supplying 92 percent of the world's honeydew," said Ziya Sahin, president of the Turkish Beekeepers Association.

There are 60,000 beekeepers in the country producing over 100,000 tones of honey per year through 7.9 million beehives, according to Sahin. Enditem

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