Turkey Fights Back With Powerful Legal Appeal To Reinstate ‘turkaegean’ Trademark After Euipo’s Shocking Reversal

Published on September 21, 2025

Turkey is mounting a powerful ineligible entreaty to reinstate its “Turkaegean” trademark aft nan European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) revoked it successful a astonishing decision. The Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency argues that nan word does not suffice arsenic a geographical denotation and should not person been canceled. The agency’s entreaty intends to reverse nan EUIPO’s ruling, which claimed nan word could mislead consumers by associating it pinch nan Turkish Aegean region. This ineligible conflict marks a captious infinitesimal for Turkey’s tourism branding efforts and could person important implications for nan early of trademark rule concerning geographical position successful nan EU.

The Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency has initiated a ineligible conflict to person its arguable “Turkaegean” trademark reinstated, arguing that nan word does not suffice arsenic a geographical denotation and, therefore, should not person been canceled by nan European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The EUIPO revoked nan trademark connected January 10, 2025, astir 3 years aft its original registration connected December 16, 2021. The Turkish agency quickly revenge an entreaty connected March 7, 2025, successful a bid to reverse nan determination and re-establish its trademark protection. This improvement follows a bid of analyzable ineligible proceedings, pinch nan first determination sparking contention and nationalist statement astir nan validity of nan word successful nan discourse of European trademark laws.

The lawsuit centers connected nan word “Turkaegean,” which Turkey’s tourism authorities sought to usage to marketplace nan Turkish Aegean region. The trademark was primitively granted to Turkey’s Tourism Promotion and Development Agency successful December 2021, pinch nan purpose of positioning nan Turkish information of nan Aegean Sea arsenic an iconic destination wrong nan broader region. However, nan EUIPO ruled that nan word “Turkaegean” carried beardown geographical connotations that could mislead consumers wrong nan European Union. The agency concluded that nan word would beryllium automatically associated pinch nan Turkish portion of nan Aegean Sea, straight contradicting European Union trademark regulations that forestall nan registration of position pinch clear geographical references if they are apt to origin user confusion.

The Turkish agency disagreed pinch nan EUIPO’s findings, asserting that “Turkaegean” is simply a coined, original word that was created specifically for trading purposes and does not clasp nan aforesaid meaning arsenic geographical position utilized successful communal language. As such, they based on that nan word should not beryllium taxable to nan aforesaid restrictions arsenic geographical indications. The appeal, revenge connected March 7, 2025, seeks to reverse nan EUIPO’s decision, claiming that “Turkaegean” is not a commonly utilized building successful immoderate connection and frankincense does not autumn nether nan regularisation that prohibits geographical position from being registered arsenic trademarks.

While nan Turkish agency’s ineligible squad remains hopeful, marketplace experts and ineligible professionals acquainted pinch trademark disputes propose that nan entreaty is improbable to succeed. The deficiency of activity beyond nan first shape of nan appeals process has led galore to judge that nan chances of overturning nan EUIPO’s determination are slim. As nan lawsuit progresses, ineligible analysts person pointed to nan broader implications of specified disputes and really nan EU’s strict trademark regulations are designed to protect consumers from misleading aliases confusing marque names. Legal experts person besides highlighted nan increasing trouble successful obtaining trademark registration for position that whitethorn beryllium seen arsenic descriptive aliases geographically specific.

On August 25, Greek officials submitted general observations countering nan Turkish claims, reinforcing their position that nan word “Turkaegean” so invokes geographical associations that are inconsistent pinch EU trademark standards. In nan aforesaid period, Turkey’s ineligible squad has undergone a bid of changes successful representation, pinch nan Spanish rule patient Elzaburu now taking complete nan case—marking nan 3rd patient to presume work for nan entreaty since nan original trademark was canceled. These changes successful ineligible practice person raised questions astir nan strategy and continuity of nan ineligible effort, though nan Turkish agency maintains its committedness to challenging nan decision.

The crux of nan conflict revolves astir nan geographical implications of nan word “Turkaegean” and whether it qualifies arsenic a descriptive aliases geographically circumstantial word that tin mislead consumers. The EUIPO’s ruling that nan word has clear geographical associations stems from its appraisal that nan nationalist would people subordinate “Turkaegean” pinch nan Turkish Aegean region. This ruling is accordant pinch EU regulations, which restrict trademarks that could perchance confuse consumers astir nan root of equipment aliases services.

Turkey’s ineligible team, however, has attempted to situation this interpretation. They reason that “Turkaegean” is an invented, neologistic word created specifically for trading purposes and does not autumn wrong nan scope of position that would typically beryllium considered geographical indications. The entreaty document, revenge connected May 12, 2025, emphasizes that nan word “Turkaegean” is unsocial and not commonly utilized by nan wide public. The Turkish broadside asserts that because nan word does not look successful immoderate EU connection dictionaries, it cannot beryllium deemed portion of nan customary vocabulary of applicable consumers.

The 72-page entreaty archive besides highlights nan broader meaning of nan connection “Turk,” arguing that it is not needfully a geographically circumstantial term. Turkey’s ineligible squad cites various examples wherever nan word “Turk” is utilized extracurricular of a geographical context. For instance, nan entreaty points to group of Central Asian descent, specified arsenic nan Turkmen, who speak Turkish but do not originate from nan Turkish Aegean region. Additionally, nan entreaty refers to a breed of equine known arsenic nan “Turk” and nan colloquial usage of nan word “Turk” to picture a personification pinch fierce tendencies, further arguing that nan term’s meaning extends beyond geographical associations.

Despite nan assertions of Turkey’s ineligible team, nan EUIPO’s determination remains successful spot for now. The lawsuit continues to evolve, pinch ineligible and marketplace observers intimately monitoring nan developments. Should Turkey’s entreaty fail, it could person far-reaching consequences for nan early of trademark registrations involving position that are geographically aliases descriptively related to circumstantial regions. The lawsuit besides raises questions astir really trademarks will beryllium handled for regions seeking to found unsocial identities successful nan world marketplace while navigating nan analyzable regulatory frameworks of nan EU.

Turkey is fighting backmost pinch a powerful ineligible entreaty to reinstate nan “Turkaegean” trademark aft nan EUIPO revoked it, arguing that nan word is not a geographical denotation and should not person been canceled. This entreaty intends to protect Turkey’s tourism branding and situation nan EU’s mentation of nan term.

The conflict complete nan “Turkaegean” trademark serves arsenic a reminder of nan complexities of intelligence spot rule and nan equilibrium that must beryllium struck betwixt protecting user interests and allowing imaginative position to flourish successful nan marketplace. The result of this lawsuit will apt power early trademark registrations, not conscionable for Turkey, but for different countries and regions seeking to found chopped brands successful an progressively globalized world.