Gaziantep leads Türkiye in EU geographical indication applications

GAZİANTEP

Türkiye’s southeastern province of Gaziantep has become the country’s leading province in applications for geographical indication registration with the European Union, submitting 10 out of the country’s 54 total applications.

According to data from the Turkish trademark office, TÜRKPATENT, Türkiye has applied for EU geographical indication registration for 54 local products, eight of which have reached the announcement stage, while procedures for 46 others are ongoing.

Gaziantep, which was the first Turkish city to have an EU-registered product with its world-famous baklava and is also Türkiye’s first member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in gastronomy, tops the list in applications.

The city, already home to 107 registered geographical indications at the national level, has applied for EU registration of 10 products, including bülbül yuvası, a nest-shaped syrupy pastry filled with pistachios and şöbiyet, a diamond-shaped baklava.

Kenan Seçkin, head of the municipality’s sustainable agriculture unit, said the city aims to boost the international visibility of its rich culinary heritage.

He noted that four products — Gaziantep’s baklava, Araban garlic, coffee and pistachio paste — have already received EU registration.

“We need to turn this into added value,” Seçkin said. “Registering these products with the EU is crucial as we enter an era of the green economy. The new understanding of tourism is not just about beaches but also gastronomy. Gaziantep is leading this trend as a locomotive city.”

He added that the city currently has a product under announcement, and if there are no objections, the number of EU-registered products will soon rise to five.

Once approved, the city’s ongoing applications will further strengthen Gaziantep’s position as Türkiye’s leading hub for gastronomy, according to Seçkin.