Abstract:

Geographical Signs are rare quality products produced according to the natural and human geographical conditions of a country, which can be obtained in a very limited area. This is why it is important to protect them and to evaluate their potential. With local and international sales of these products, income is provided to the region and the country’s economy, the development of tourism, rural development and the promotion of the region’s cultural structure. Therefore, these products create brand values that are of material and spiritual importance in the cities where they are. In the world, geographical sign practices have been attempted to continue from the past to the present day, but in the last twenty years they have often mentioned their name. Especially in recent years, while the number of geographically marked products is increasing, the demand for such products is also observed. In general, while the geographical sign system is operated more intensely in Europe, the food sector has become among the increasing sector dynamism. Turkey is an extremely rich country in terms of geographically marked products due to its geographical location and conditions. It has different generations of climate, different human capital, different cultural heritage. As of May 2021, there are seven registered geographical products on the EU level as "Antep Baklavası/Gaziantep Baklavası", "Aydın Inciri", "Malatya Kayısı", "Aydın Kestanesi", "Taşköprü Sarımsağı", "Milas Olive Oil" and "Bayramiç White". The study was conducted in Turkey with the aim of determining the importance, value and contribution of the European Union-registered geographical marked products to the country’s economy, raising awareness for increasing the number of geographical marked products within the country and internationally. It is recommended that Turkey eliminate the shortcomings in its economic assessment of geographical marked products.