Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was used to assess genetic inter-relationships among olive varieties cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin. The genotypes sampled included most of the important cultivars from Turkey, Greece and the Middle East and selected genotypes from the Western Mediterranean area. A total of 119 polymorphic markers were generated from five selective primer-pair combinations. The combined data sets generated by just two primer-pairs were adequate to discriminate between all 65 genotypes, while each primer-pair could individually identify up to 64 genotypes. A factorial correspondence analysis (FCA) plot indicated that the cultivars clustered into two relatively modestly defined groups. The first broad group was dominated by cultivars from Turkey but also included genotypes originating from the Middle East (Syria and Lebanon) that collectively formed a tight subcluster. The second group comprised Greek cultivars and those originating from the Western Mediterranean. A significant genetic distance value between Greek and Turkish cultivars was provided by an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). There was also evidence of substructure here, with an apparent separation of most Spanish and Italian clones. These findings are in general accordance to previous suggestions of an East-West divergence of olive cultivars, although the dichotomy is less extensive than reported previously and complicated by regional variation within each group.

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Introduction Walnut (Juglans regia L., 2n = 32, ~ 606 Mb per 1 C genome) is a monoecious, dichogamous, wind-pollinated, long-lived, perennial tree species belonging to the family Juglandaceae (Zhu et al., 2015). After cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) and almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb], walnut is the third most widely planted nut tree worldwide with a global annual production (with shell) of around 2.2 × 10 6 metric tons 1. Turkey is the fourth largest walnut-producing country in the world after China, USA, and Iran 1. The kernel of walnut has a high economic impact on the food industry and is very popular and valued around the world due to its health-related, sensorial, and nutritional properties (Martinez et al., 2010). Many researchers have demonstrated the beneficial health effects of human diet supplemented by walnut due to its high protein, oil vitamin and mineral content (Dzhafarova et al., 2009; Martinez et al., 2010). Recent research also suggests that in addition to nuts, the extracts of walnut leaves have a positive impact on lipid metabolism and decrease blood sugar levels in human beings (Dzhafarova et al., 2009). On the other hand, leaves, shells, green walnuts, kernels, and bark of walnut tree have been used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Fresh leaves of walnut are utilized for the treatment of skin inflammations, ulcers, and hyperhidrosis in the pharmaceutical industry and for their antiseptic, anthelmintic, astringent, and antidiarrheal properties in folk medicine, and dry walnut leaves are used as infusions. Additionally, green husk of walnut is the basic material for the conventional liqueur of walnut, and shells are used as a filtration medium for the separation of crude oil from water. As a result of these great health benefits and commercial importance of walnut, detection of its genetic diversity and relationships among accessions has become significant topics in studies on germplasm conservation and plant breeding (Pereira et al., 2007). In Turkey, nongrafted walnut seedlings had been used in new walnut plantations until the beginning of 1970s and commercial walnut orchards were established with