ATHENS — The European Union has banned the trademark “Turkaegean” for Turkish tourism campaigns following an appeal by Greece.
The EU’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has canceled the slogan that had been registered by the Turkish Tourism Organization for use within the EU, according to a judgment reported by Greek media.
Despite both being NATO allies, Athens and Ankara have been at odds for decades over a number of topics such as Cyprus, maritime boundaries and overlapping claims regarding the continental shelf.
Territorial sovereignty within the Aegean Sea has been a contentious issue between the two neighboring countries, whose summer economies rely heavily on tourism.
The “Turkaegean” slogan, initially registered by the EU’s Intellectual Property Office in December 2021, triggered a backlash from top Greek politicians the following summer after Turkey launched a “Turkeagean Coast of Happiness” tourism campaign.
Greece filed a case against the use of the slogan, arguing that the “TurkAegean” trademark reflects geopolitical ambitions.
“We are asserting our rights with full force and through all legal means,” Greece’s Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos said late Friday in commenting on the EUIPO’s decision.
Turkish authorities now have two months to appeal the decision and four months to provide written reasons for the appeal.
Meanwhile, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has requested further clarifications from Turkey regarding its choice of the term “TurkAegean,” according to Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper.
Turkey has allegedly been given a 20-day deadline to provide the requested clarifications to the U.S. agency. Experts anticipate that the resolution of this case may take an additional 2–3 years, according to the report.
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