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By the time Turkey made the “Aegean” a tourist brand, Greece had gone on vacation and is now looking for an objection, a year after, the fiasco.
Angry reaction of the Official Opposition. “Athens is … confused,” writes the Turkish press.
Angry and reasonable reactions have been provoked by the oligarchy of the Greek government within the – several months ago – patenting of the term “Turkaegean” by Turkey.
The EU Intellectual Property Committee has reportedly approved Turkey’s request for a name that can be used from December 2021 until July 2031.
Turkey has submitted two different applications for the trademark, one in the European Union and one in the United States. The request to the European Union was accepted on December 15, 2021, based on the decision of the Committee on Intellectual Property Rights.
It seems, therefore, that the Greek side was “caught asleep”, since at that time it remained inactive without filing an objection to overturn the establishment of a term (“Turkish-Aegean” in Greek) which, although it may aim to attract tourists from Turkey, however, is “an extreme challenge to Greek sovereignty in the Aegean”, as George Katrougalos stressed on Tuesday.
No statement from Foreign Minister – “No objection could be made then”
So far there is no official -at least- reaction or even a position from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to announce what and how immediate will be Greece’s response to the “Turkagean” fiasco.
Also, it is not known the reason why the Greek side did not object last year, in 2021, when the term was secured.
On Tuesday, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou, in a televised interview with SKAI, noted that “the way in which the registration was made did not allow any objection to be made at that time”, clarifying that “of course there will be an appeal. “Because it happened and obviously there will be an appeal very soon. It does not produce any political issues but without a doubt it is an unfair commercial practice which will be promoted.
For his part, the Minister of Tourism, Vassilis Kikilias, noted: “I had pointed out from the beginning that the propaganda campaign of” Turkaegean “has arisen from a lack of imagination of their creator and is part of the unhistorical accusations of the Turkish side with escalating aggression, “In this regard, I was even attacked by anonymous Turkish internet users with insults and offensive descriptions. Greece is taking all the necessary initiatives and is taking legal action to cancel this unacceptable campaign.”
SYRIZA’s angry reaction – Six questions about government oligarchy
From the side of the Official Opposition, there was a massive reaction to the government oligarchy which “costs the country dearly and harms its interests”.
On the initiative of the Head of Development and Investment of the SYRIZA-PS Central Committee, Alexis Haritsis, in collaboration with the Foreign Ministers, George Katrougalos and Tourism, Katerina Notopoulou, 54 deputies of SYRIZA-PS submitted a question for the approval of the EU can be used by Turkey as a trademark of the word “Turkaegean”.
According to SYRIZA-PS MPs, according to a decision published in the European Trademark Office (EUTM), the EU Intellectual Property Committee (EUIPO) has approved the possibility of use by Turkey as a trademark. the word “Turkaegean” (Turkish Aegean). Turkey even uses this brand in an advertising campaign that has been launched for tourism purposes. The approval was given on December 15, 2021 without any objection and is valid until July 16, 2031. In fact, the Greek government to date, although it has the right, has not filed an objection.
This development affects the prestige of the country internationally while it undermines the prospects of Greek tourism and the course of the Greek economy in an extremely difficult situation. At the same time, given the current situation in Greek-Turkish relations, this development complicates relations between the two countries and degrades Greece geopolitically.
Because, Turkey has recently chosen the policy of aggravation with multiple statements of Turkish officials to turn against the sovereign rights of our country
Because, the issue is very serious and affects the commercial rights of our country.
The competent Ministers are asked:
1. If and when was the Minister of Development & Investment and the Industrial Property Organization informed as the competent body, for the submission of an application for the registration of the specific mark?
2. What information actions did the undertakings concerned take? Were the chambers based in the Aegean islands and SETE informed?
3. Was there any intervention by OBI before EUIPO?
4. What actions has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs taken, and in particular the Undersecretary for Economic Diplomacy?
5. Has the Government organized any process of submitting objections or exercising other legal remedies?
6. Is any reaction planned by the State? ”
Kotzias: “Defeated decision – Give the minutes to the public”
The reaction of the former Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias was also immediate, who in a post on Wednesday morning wrote: “The Foreign Minister must immediately give to the public a) official correspondence and instructions regarding” Turkaegean “, b) its minutes c) the “diary” of its own deterrent actions, if it did “, to add that:” The opposition must demand the documents “.
“Athens is confused”
The delayed reaction of Greece, however, also occupied a portion of the Turkish press, with some neighboring media referring to the event, writing characteristically that “Athens is confused”.
Characteristic is the article of Yenisafak, which writes that the move of Turkey confused Greece, causing “an earthquake in the Greek political scene”.
He added: “Many people across the country, from academics to politicians, reacted to the EU decision and made statements aimed at the government. George Katrougalos from the opposition slammed the Mitsotakis government, noting that the decision was unacceptable. Its representative Greek Prime Minister Giannis Oikonomou, for his part, said that Turkey would not create a brand in which it has exclusive rights and announced that Greece would oppose the decision. ”
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