**3. Fig research and selection studies**

In the Aegean part of the country, fig is mostly grown for dry production and exportation. So, most of the research in this area was carried on the performances of dry figs, mainly on Sarilop fig cultivar. However, the increase on the exportation and transportation possibilities of fresh figs caused to work on them (such as Bursa Siyahi fig cultivar) as well. Many studies were carried out to develop fig cultivation in the country. Kaska et al. [15, 16], Kuden and Tanriver [17], and Tanriver et al. [18] worked on fertilization biology and physiology of selected fig genotypes under Cukurova conditions.

First fig selection studies have begun from the end of the 1980s with Aksoy [19] and in the 1990s with the studies of Aksoy et al. [20] at Ege University and Erbeyli Fig Research Institute and Kaska et al. [13] at Cukurova University. Kuden et al. [21], collected 38 fresh commercial fig cultivars from Southeast Anatolia region and 32 fresh commercial fig cultivars from the East Mediterranean region. They have also carried out another selection study on figs and collected and identified very promising genotypes [22]. Ilgin and Kuden [23] also identified fig germplasm in Kahramanmaras Province. All these selection studies were presented during the MESFIN network meeting [24].

Several Ms.C theses were carried out on fig selection [25–41] and also Ph.D. studies [19, 42–46]. Several selection, germplasm characterization, and cultivar identification studies were carried out by different scientists [47–50].
