TÜRKİYE hosts thousands of treasures in its fertile lands. The diversity of the products reflects the beauty of all four seasons, rich flora and the unique climate of Türkiye’s seven regions, its agricultural products, food culture and various handicrafts. Products such as Çanakkale’s Bayramiç White Prune, Aydın’s Fig, Taşköprü’s Garlic, Gemlik’s Olive, Antakya’s Kunafah and Olive Oil of Milas represent Türkiye’s rich tastes. Each of these products with geographical indication has a different story.

REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 

Geographical indication and traditional product names include identifying the geographic source, guaranteeing the production method and quality shaped by traditional know-how and cultural values, facilitating marketing by distinguishing the products in the market and fighting against product counterfeiting. Therefore, different from other industrial property rights that endow the producers with certain rights, the geographical indication and traditional product names bear critical importance in supporting local production and rural development. For instance, Giresun Tombul Hazelnut grown in the Giresun region differs from other hazelnuts for its large shell and fat rate.

Chambers of commerce and industry assumed the most significant responsibility in the geographical indication process. Municipalities, commodity exchange markets and governorates follow the commerce and industry chambers with the highest registration processes. The registration applications can be made to chambers of commerce.

20 EU-CERTIFIED PRODUCTS

The commerce of geographic products has been increasing day after day. There are nearly 15 thousand products with geographical indication in the world, and the economic size of these products surpassed US$ 230 billion in 2023. Türkiye, on the other hand, is considered a prominent player in this area, following France and Italy, with registered product sales worth US$ 15.4 billion.

The European Union certified Türkiye’s 20 products. The products expected to receive certification this year are Araban Garlic, Manisa’s Mesir Paste, Rize Tea and Hüyük Strawberry. 45 Turkish products are waiting for EU certification. 

ADVANTAGE TO THE INVESTORS

The geographical indication increases a product’s value by 30 to 50 per cent. Yavuz Tekelioğlu, Head of the Research Network on Local Products and Geographical Indications of Türkiye, underlined the importance of the import of products with geographical indication and added, “One of the chief factors that determine a product’s price is whether it has a geographical indication or not. We have registered seventeen products since 2017 and expect to increase this number to 27 in 2024. There is a universal logo system for the products with geographical indication. The supervision mechanism and consumer interest are also among the factors that increase the product’s price. Investments in registered and marked products have been increasing day by day.”

1512 LOCAL PRODUCTS REGISTERED

The number of Türkiye’s national products with geographical indication registration folded 48 times last October and reached 1512. The cities with the most registered products are as follows:

* Gaziantep: 103

* Konya: 72

* Diyarbakır: 50

* Afyonkarahisar: 48

* Şanlıurfa: 47

* Malatya: 46

Karaman, with one registered product, is at the top of the list of cities with the least amount of geographical indication registry, with two registered products, Batman and Ağrı, following the city. Osmaniye, Kırıkkale, Şırnak, Bingöl and Muş follow the latter group with three registered products.

Four registered products of Istanbul 

Istanbul has a past of 8 thousand 500 years, and the city has served as the capital city of many empires. The city with such a rich past has four registered products. These products are the Bluefish of Bosphorus, Şile Fabric, Şile’s Chestnut Honey and Silivri Yoghurt. The economic size of these products is approximately US$ 100 million.

If a product cannot be grown outside its respective region, it is registered with the ‘designation of origin’ mark.

Any produce grown in other regions in addition to its respective area, then ‘geographical indication’ is used for registry purposes.

‘Traditional specialty guaranteed products’ is used for registration if the product has been grown in the same region for a minimum of 30 years.

EU-certified products

Gaziantep Baklava

Aydın Fig

Malatya Apricot 

Aydın Chestnut 

Milas Olive Oil 

Bayramiç White Prune

Taşköprü Garlic

Giresun Tombul Hazelnut 

Antakya Kunafah 

Suruç Pommegranade

Çağlayancerit Walnut

Gemlik Olive

Edremit Olive Oil

Milas Olive

Ayaş Tomato

Ezine Cheese

Kahramanmaraş Tarhana

Edremit Gulf’s Green Marked Olives

Safranbolu Saffron

Aydın Memecik Olive Oil