Register a Trademark in Turkey – Procedure and Formalities

Interested in registering a trademark in Turkey? You can do this when incorporating a business in this country and taking into account the applicable legislation. The following lines provide information about procedures and formalities, specifying that our lawyers in Turkey can guide you from the beginning.

Quick Facts
Who can register a trademark in Turkey?	Natural persons and company owners
What does trademark registration in Turkey offer?	Protection of intellectual property rights
Authority in charge	Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT)
Legislation	Industrial Property Law No. 6769 (in force since 10 January 2017)
Types of trademarks you can register	– logos, – letters, – words, – sounds, – colors, – signs, – numbers, – pictures, – shapes, – 3D forms, etc.
Precautions	The trademark must be unique and non-offensive.
Preliminary search	Required to see if a similar trademark is already registered in Turkey.
Representative agent for trademark registration in Turkey	Recommended. We represent our clients in all the procedures linked to trademark registration in Turkey.
Trademark publication	Trademark Gazette
Opposition period	2 months
What happens if a similar trademark is already registered?	The registration application can be denied if the trademark is contested.
Trademark validity in Turkey	10 years
Trademark renewals in Turkey (YES/NO)	YES
International agreements	– Paris Convention, – Madrid Protocol, – TRIPS Agreement, etc.
We represent our customers with a power of attorney for trademark registration (YES/NO)	YES

Types of trademarks you can register in Turkey

Registering a trademark in Turkey can involve:

letters and/or numbers,
colors,
signs,
words,
pictures,
sounds, etc.

Applicants are advised to choose/create a distinctive and non-offensive logo. Trademarks that incite hatred or that bring insults or may affect the public space are not accepted. Once the trademark is created and the registration procedure begins, a check will be required for the applicant to ensure that there are no similarities with other ones already registered. Please explore this infographic with information about this subject:

Trademark application at the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office

The examiners of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office will examine the application and decide if there is any reason for refusal. If the application is not refused, then the application is published in the Trademark Bulletin. Other persons may contest the application within a period of two months after publication. If there is no opposition, the application is registered with the Trademark Register and then published at the Trademark Gazette. In case there are one or more oppositions, the applicant must wait until these are resolved. The protection for a trademark is registered for 10 years, and after that period, it should be renewed.

Trademark opposition

Once the trademark is accepted by the Patent Office in Turkey, an opposition period follows, after publication in the Official Trademark Bulletin. For two months, the trademark in question can be contested by anyone who considers that it is similar to one already registered. However, if there are no objections registered in this sense, the respective trademark can be registered and used. On the other hand, the authorities will ensure a re-examination in situations where there is opposition. In addition, if an appeal in this sense is accepted, the trademark can be refused. We invite you to discuss more with our Turkish lawyers when you want to register a trademark in Turkey.

Timeframe for trademark registration in Turkey

Here are other aspects to take into account when registering a trademark in Turkey:

the process of registering a trademark in Turkey takes around 3 months;
during these 3 months, you must take into account the 2-month period in which the trademark in question can be contested;
in case an opposition is accepted, the trademark registration period can be 6-8 months.

About the trademark legislation applicable in Turkey

The trademarks owned by natural or legal persons in Turkey are protected by Industrial Property Law No. 6769, in force since 10 January 2017 (it replaced Decree-Law No. 556 of 1995). The intellectual property rights are held by both the persons who live in Turkey or have a company established in this country and by entities that benefit from the rights according to the Paris or Bern Conventions. Other beneficiaries of these rights are natural persons or companies incorporated in other countries that offer products and/or services in Turkey. The natural or legal persons who need to obtain protection for their trademarks can apply to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT) or send an international application through the Madrid protocol.

Our Turkish lawyers can offer you legal assistance in other situations, besides the trademark registration process. For instance, we offer support for immigration to Turkey. Our clients can also be helped in obtaining a residence permit in Turkey. Furthermore, those who are already established in this country and can meet certain criteria for obtaining citizenship by investment in Turkey can opt for our legal services. Please contact our law firm in Turkey and find out more details about our personalized legal services for the problems you want to solve.