Geographical Indications Related to Carob
A geographical indication is a tool that legally protects the qualities of a product identified with a particular region. The most important development in Turkey in terms of carob is the registration of the name "Alanya Carob / Alanya Carob" as a trademark by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office on February 26, 2025. Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also applied for a European Union geographical indication for the product.
In this article, we discuss what a geographical indication is, the difference between a designation of origin and a locality mark, the details of Alanya Carob registration, the EU process, and what a geographical indication means for producers and buyers.
What is a Geographical Indication?
A geographical indication is a sign that indicates products that are identified with the geographical area from which they originate in terms of a distinctive quality, reputation or other features. The name of the region mentioned with the name of a product can become an important part of the value of that product in the eyes of the consumer. Geographical indication registration aims to prevent the unfair use of this value by products that do not meet the conditions.
In Turkey, geographical indications are protected under the Industrial Property Law No. 6769 and registration procedures are carried out by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT). In the Alanya Carob registration certificate, it is stated that the registration is made within the scope of this law and the protection starts from the date of application (TÜRKPATENT, 2025).
The Difference Between Name of Origin and Origin Mark
In Turkish legislation, geographical indications are registered in two types:
| Type | Key Feature |
|---|---|
| Designation of origin | All or essential features of the product depend on that geographical area with its natural and human elements; all production, processing and other processes take place within the determined geographical boundaries. |
| Mahreç sign | The product is identified with that geographical area in terms of a distinctive quality, reputation or other characteristics; at least one of the production, processing or other processes takes place within the defined geographical boundaries. |
This distinction does not reduce or increase the value of the product; it only defines the nature of the link between the product and geography. Alanya Carob is registered as a sign of privacy (TÜRKPATENT, 2025).
Alanya Carob / Alanya Carob Registration
The most concrete example of a geographical indication in the field of carob in Turkey is Alanya Carob. According to the registration certificate, the basic information of registration is as follows (TÜRKPATENT, 2025):
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name of geographical indication | Alanya Carob / Alanya Carob |
| Type | Mahreç sign |
| Application date / no | 17.04.2024 / C2024/000134 |
| Registration date / no | 26.02.2025 / 1705 |
| Applicant | Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
| Geographical boundary | Antalya Province, Alanya District |
Registration certificate; It includes the description of the product, distinctive features, production method and inspection principles. In the document, it is stated that Alanya Carob is a long, flat and flat fruit with dark brown skin, light brown flesh, 13–15 seeds and high sucrose content. For physical characteristics, fruit weight is given as 28.8–41.8 grams and length is given as 191–218 mm. The production method includes planting with grafted saplings, planting spacing of 5 × 5 m, pruning with a tapestry system and harvesting in September-October; the product is stored in 15 kg boxes or 20–25 kg sacks, at a temperature of 15–20 °C and a relative humidity of up to 60 percent (TÜRKPATENT, 2025).
The document also states that the geographical indication name and the mahreç sign emblem should be used on the product or packaging, and if this is not possible, visibly used in the business. For more information about the climate and soil characteristics of the region and the promotion of the product Alanya Carob: Traditional Product of the Region You can check our article.
How is the Geographical Indication Inspected?
A geographical indication is not just a document obtained once; the characteristics defined in the registration must be constantly protected. Inspection for Alanya Carob; It is carried out at least once a year by a three-person inspection authority consisting of one representative each from the Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alanya Chamber of Agriculture and Alanya District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and separately in case of complaints. Audit reports are submitted to TÜRKPATENT every year by the applicant (TÜRKPATENT, 2025; Küre Encyclopedia).
This structure is the basis of the geographical indication's reliability. When the buyer purchases a geographical indication product, they obtain assurance that the product originates from the region defined in the registration and has the specified characteristics.
Geographical Indication Process in the European Union
A geographical indication registered in Turkey is not automatically protected in the European Union market. For protection in the EU, the product must be applied separately to the EU's geographical indication system. Geographical indications registered in the EU can be queried from the European Commission's database called eAmbrosia.
According to the news, the Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry has applied for an EU geographical indication for Alanya Carob; then, in August 2026, it made an official application to the EU for Alanya avocado. In the statement of the President of the Chamber, Eray Erdem, it was emphasized that the avocado application was made after the carob. At the time of preparing this article, no information could be found regarding the outcome of the carob application in the EU (Gazete Vatan, 2026a).
For products made from carob or carob in the EU, whether there are registered geographical indications of other countries and their current status should be checked in the eAmbrosia database. Within the scope of this article, we do not provide a product name as we cannot find a verified list on this subject.
Other Carob Products and Geographical Indication
Carob is not just a fruit; it is also the raw material of molasses, flour, powder and similar processed products. At the time of preparing this article, the registration we could verify for carob fruit in the sources we examined is Alanya Carob. The current registration and application status for carob molasses or other carob products should be checked in the geographical indication database (ci.turkpatent.gov.tr) of TÜRKPATENT.
In terms of new applications, Mersin, Muğla and other districts of Antalya, where carob grows intensively, also have potential. For a geographical indication application, it is usually necessary to document the product's connection with the region, its distinctive features and production method, and to establish an inspection structure.
What Does Geographical Indication Bring to the Producer and the Buyer?
The geographical indication is of great importance for a product such as carob, which is mostly sold as a bulk raw material. In a review comparing carob fruits of different producing countries, it is emphasized that the sugar and phenolic compound content may vary according to the origin; however, it is emphasized that these characteristics are lost in the industrial process because the origin and variety of the pods are not recorded during the storage and processing stages (Correia and Pestana, 2024). The geographical indication can help make this value related to origin visible.
| For the manufacturer | Bargaining power for the preservation of the local name, differentiation of the product and better price conditions. |
| For the region | Promotion, rural tourism and strengthening of the local economy. |
| For Buyer | Inspection-based assurance about the product's source and specifications. |
| For industry | Traceable raw material with defined properties. |
Geographical indication also forms the basis of branding efforts. Carob represents Antalya in the Ministry of Industry and Technology's "Those in Anatolia: 81 Provinces 81 Products" project; within the scope of the project, studies such as preparing a roadmap from production to marketing, processing and packaging facilities, branding, e-commerce and new product development are planned. It is also stated in the news that ALTSO pioneered the geographical indication of Alanya carob (Ekonomi Gazetesi, 2026). After the registration, local supports also started to take shape based on this identity: In the news about the sapling distribution of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality in April 2026, carob was mentioned as the geographically indicated product of Alanya and it was reported that 5,000 grafted saplings were distributed to 62 producers (Gazete Vatan, 2026b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a geographically indicated carob in Turkey?
Yes. "Alanya Carob / Alanya Carob" was registered as a mahreç sign on February 26, 2025, with the number 1705.
What is the difference between the mahreç sign and the name of origin?
In the name of origin, all stages of production take place within the determined geographical boundaries; in the case of the origin mark, it is sufficient that at least one of the stages takes place within these boundaries.
Is Alanya Carob registered in the EU?
It has been reported that the Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry has applied to the EU; at the time of writing, no information could be found regarding the outcome of the application.
How do I recognize a geographically indicated product?
In registered products, the name of the geographical indication and the official emblem must be visibly placed on the product or packaging, and if this is not possible, in the business.
Local Value with Carob Türkiye
As an Alanya-based company, we care about preserving the local identity of carob. As Carob Türkiye, we supply carob fruit, crumbs, flour/powder, seeds and extracts. Carob Fruit page and all our products Our Products You can review the page. For your wholesale and export requests Contact Now You can contact us on our page.
Domestic resources
Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (applicant: Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry), "Alanya Carob / Alanya Carob" geographical indication registration certificate, Registration No: 1705, 2025. ci.
turkpatent. gov. en/ Files/ GeographicalSigns/ 7bbe4a8b- 399… Küre Encyclopedia, "Alanya Carob / Alanya Carob" article. kureencyclopedia.
com/ en/ detail/ alanya- Carob- alanya- huh... Gazete Vatan (2026a), "Alanya avocado opens up to the world: Official application for European Union Geographical Indication has been submitted!", 21 August 2026. newspapervatan.
com/ gallery/ alanya- avocado- to the world- opening- … Economy Newspaper, "Alanya carob will become a brand", 22 July 2026. economy newspaper.
com/ cities/ alanya- Carob- If it were branded... Gazete Vatan (2026b), "Huge support for producers in Antalya: Strategic investment made in agriculture", 20 April 2026. newspapervatan.
com/ gallery/ in antalya- to the manufacturer- dev- Support- tar... Foreign sources
Correia, P. J., Pestana, M., "Sugars and phenols in carob tree fruits from different producing countries: A short review", Heliyon, 10, e30922, 2024. doi.
Scientific Resourcesorg/ 10. 1016/ j. helion. 2024. E30922
