The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) aims to increase the international visibility and added value of Türkiye’s products, as the country ranks second worldwide in geographical indication registrations.
TÜRKPATENT data shows a total of 1,794 products in Türkiye have been registered with geographical indication certificates to date.
Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, the first Turkish city included in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, ranks first nationwide with 108 geographically indicated products.
Among the provinces with the fewest registered geographical indication products are Kırıkkale and Muş with four each, followed by Tunceli and Bingöl with five products each.
While applications for geographical indication registration are submitted every year for various products from many provinces across Türkiye, the granted registrations help consumers recognize products, distinguish their regional characteristics and make informed purchasing decisions.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday, TÜRKPATENT President Muhammed Zeki Durak said Türkiye has significant potential in geographically indicated products.
Stating that the goal is to transform geographically indicated products into globally recognized brands, Durak said, “Türkiye is extremely rich in terms of agriculture. We have the opportunity to further develop this potential. Registration figures demonstrate this richness, but what truly matters is increasing the recognition of these products. We aim to expand their contribution to the economy, provide greater added value for producers and raise awareness of geographical indications.”
Durak emphasized that geographically indicated products in Türkiye have more distinctive qualities compared to those in many other countries.
He said these products also make a direct contribution to tourism, “Because geographically indicated products carry characteristics unique to their region of origin, they are best experienced in that region. Tourists often act on the question of where they can best taste or purchase these products, which directly influences travel preferences,” he said.
Durak noted that geographical indication registration serves as a quality benchmark in production and stressed the importance of increasing production and accessing global markets through exports.
Within the scope of a project carried out in cooperation between TÜRKPATENT and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), training programs were held this year for producers of Edremit olive oil in Balıkesir and Memecik olive oil in Aydın. The training covered industrial property rights, commercialization of geographically indicated products, e-commerce and the use of social media.
Next year, similar commercialization-focused training programs are planned for farmers producing Malatya apricots and Giresun tombul hazelnuts.
