The European Union Intellectual Property Office rejected in the second instance Turkey’s effort to register the ‘Turkaegean’ trademark for the Aegean Sea.
“This is justification for Greece’s position on the issue,” said Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos regarding the rejection, in the second instance, of the Turkish appeal against the cancellation of the Turkaegean trademark.
In July 2021, the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Organization (TGA) filed with the EU Intellectual Property Office for registration of the trademark “Turkaegean”.
The Hellenic Industrial Property Organization (OBI) of the Ministry of Development, established in May 2022 as the competent body for issuing trademarks in Greece, took the initiative to coordinate and support all actions for the infringement of the above trademark by filing an application for its cancellation with the competent EU agency in February 2023 .
The European Intellectual Property Office issued a decision in January 2025, by which the European Trademark “Turkaegan” was invalidated and deleted. Against the decision, the Turkish side appealed before the competent Board of Appeal (Boards of Appeal-EUIPO).
The Board of Appeal, with its new decision today, rejected the Turkish appeal and confirmed the deletion and cancellation of “Turkaegan” as a European Trademark.
Statement by the Greek Minister of Development
The Minister of Development Takis Theodorikakos stated: “The decision of the competent body of the European Union (EUIPO) constitutes a vindication of our national positions.
The European institutional order confirms in a second instance the obvious: the term “Turkaegan” lacks any legal and commercial basis and is marginalized. This development did not come about by chance. It is the result of a long, systematic effort initiated by the Ministry of Development, in coordination with the Hellenic Industrial Property Organization.
We refuted with strong legal, historical, and commercial arguments the attempt to mislead the consumer public and geopolitically instrumentalize trademarks.
Greece proves in practice that it is a country strong, serious, and committed to international legality. The government effectively defends our national interests, our cultural, and geographical identity, as well as the economic activity of our businesses methodically, with determination, and use of every legal instrument in all international fora.
The US had previously rejected the Turkish trademark
The European Union had initially approved Turkey’s bid to trademark the phrase “Turkaegean,” or “Turkish Aegean” for use in a new tourism campaign. The US, however, had rejected from the start the country’s application to copyright the controversial phrase.
Turkey has begun using the term “Turkaegean” or “Turkish Aegean,” in highlighting ancient Greek monuments and archaeological sites in its tourism campaign for summer 2022.
The west coast of Turkey, which includes Izmir, Ephesus, Ayvalik, and Pergamon among many other well-known historical sites with a rich Greek history, is one of the seven major regions of the country.
Turkey’s effort to establish the trademark is part of a wider revisionist campaign to challenge the sovereignty of several Greek islands in the Aegean.
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