EGN NEWS DESK
ATHENS — The European Union has banned the trademark “Turkaegean” for Turkish tourism campaigns following an enchantment by Greece.
The EU’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has canceled the slogan that had been registered by the Turkish Tourism Organization to be used inside the EU, based on a judgment reported by Greek media.
Despite each being NATO allies, Athens and Ankara have been at odds for many years over quite a lot of matters reminiscent of Cyprus, maritime boundaries and overlapping claims relating to the continental shelf.
Territorial sovereignty inside the Aegean Sea has been a contentious subject between the 2 neighboring international locations, whose summer time economies rely closely on tourism.
The “Turkaegean” slogan, initially registered by the EU’s Intellectual Property Office in December 2021, triggered a backlash from prime Greek politicians the next summer time after Turkey launched a “Turkeagean Coast of Happiness” tourism marketing campaign.
Greece filed a case in opposition to using the slogan, arguing that the “TurkAegean” trademark displays geopolitical ambitions.
“We are asserting our rights with full drive and thru all authorized means,” Greece’s Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos mentioned late Friday in commenting on the EUIPO’s choice.
Turkish authorities now have two months to enchantment the choice and 4 months to offer written causes for the enchantment.
Meanwhile, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has requested additional clarifications from Turkey relating to its selection of the time period “TurkAegean,” based on Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper.
Turkey has allegedly been given a 20-day deadline to offer the requested clarifications to the U.S. company. Experts anticipate that the decision of this case could take a further 2–3 years, based on the report.
