“ANTEP BAKLAVASI” REGISTERED AS GEORGRAPHICAL INDICATION IN THE EU

With the resulting of the application of Gaziantep Chamber of Industry at the EU, “Antep Baklavası / Gaziantep Baklavası” has been registered as geographical indicator (merchandise mark) in the EU. The registration will be published in the Official Gazette of EU in the forthcoming days.

With this registration, Antep Baklavası was put under protection in the EU against all kinds of misuse, imitation and evoke. Antep Baklavası can only be produced by the producers acting in accordance with the regional production techniques included in the registration certificate/product specification.

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, making a statement on the issue, said “We followed closely the period after the application of Gaziantep Chamber of Industry and finally we have taken a significant step by registering another wealth of us in the EU. Actually, registration of Antep Baklava by the EU means that the wealth to be provided by Turkey to European Union is registered by the EU. Ministry for EU Affairs, as it was always, is ready to provide all kinds of support on registering our products in the EU.”

Minister Bagis, reminding that Antep Baklava is a wealth of not only Gaziantep but also Turkey, appreciated Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce for its efforts with the aim of preventing some injustices in this issue and thanked to the Chamber for their sensitiveness on this subject.

Minister Bagis said the followings:

“Now Antep Baklava was officially registered and it deserved to take place at the European cuisine as “Antep Baklava”, from now on it will become a wealth of not just Gaziantep, not just Turkey but also of Europe. Today, our Baklava is already being served to European people by our investors from Gaziantep at the important centers of Europe including Brussels. When, I participated to the opening ceremonies of these investments or visited them, I have witnessed the interest of European for Antep Baklava, and I still do. We always recommend the Gaziantep peanut baklava to Europe in a period in which they were exhausted by dealing with crisis. This registration is a meaningful answer for those who consider that the slices of EU cake will become smaller with the membership of Turkey. Those who think that they may prevent the membership of Turkey through some sort of games are wasting their times. Turkey is coming to relief the burden of EU, not to be a burden by itself. We will make the cake bigger and present baklava to the European cuisine as a gift.”

Minister Bagis, stressing that the heroism shown by Gaziantep for our freedom is now shown for our future, underlined the progress made by the city during the last 11 years and said:

“Mrs. Fatma, the sister of Gaziantep, is a great chance for Antep and its people relating to the achievement gained by the city. Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Şahin, who have carried out significant projects with the aim of strengthening the family as the fundamental element of Turkish society, has now undertaken the leadership of a new process in Gaziantep on the women participation to local administrations. Gaziantep represents a significant solidarity and unity example with its Public Administrator, local administration, NGOs and its entire people and with this example, new successes are achieved. It is again Gaziantep that witnesses how a city can be developed when there is no terrorism. In this respect, Gaziantep gives power both to our country’s brotherhood and its EU journey.”