EU Kills “Turkaegean” Trademark for Good
Turkey's attempt to brand the Aegean as its own has officially failed at the European Union level. The EU Intellectual Property Office's Board of Appeals has rejected Turkey's challenge to an earlier ruling, confirming the permanent deletion of the "Turkaegean" trademark from the EU register.
The dispute started in July 2021, when Turkey's Tourism Promotion and Development Agency filed to register "Turkaegean" as an official EU trademark. Greece responded with coordinated legal action, formally submitting a cancellation application to EUIPO in February 2023, arguing the term was misleading and had no legal or commercial validity. EUIPO's first-instance decision in January 2025 sided with Greece, annulling the trademark entirely. Turkey appealed, and now that appeal has been shut down.
"Turkaegean has no legal or commercial basis and will remain off the register" — Greek Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos
Greek Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos called the outcome a vindication of Greece's national positions. He said the EU's institutional framework had reaffirmed, even at the second-instance level, that "Turkaegean" has no legal or commercial basis and will remain off the register. He credited the result to a sustained legal effort led by his ministry in coordination with the Hellenic Industrial Property Organisation.
Greek officials had long argued Turkey was not simply trying to promote tourism with the branding, but was attempting to use commercial terminology to push a geopolitical narrative about the Aegean's identity. EUIPO's rulings focused strictly on legal grounds, including distinctiveness, descriptiveness, and potential consumer confusion.
The trademark battle lasted nearly five years from application to final rejection. With the appeal now dismissed, the deletion of "Turkaegean" from EU records is permanent.
