Tuesday, August 26, 2008 | Turkish Press Scanner

AKŞAM | Turkey has rejected a Kurdish cola brand's request for patent registration in Turkey, reported daily Akşam yesterday.

Cola Kurda is being produced by the Kurdish community in northern Iraq and is largely being consumed in the region. The product is also served on Kurdish airlines.

This is the third time the Turkish Patent Institute, or TPE, has turned down Cola Kurda's application. Previous attempts in 2003 and 2004 were also unsuccessful, with the institute saying the product was against public order and morality. In 2007 Hacı Ramazan Aslan applied to TPE again, but his application was turned down for the same reason.

Aslan chose a star emblem with green, yellow and red colors for Cola Kurda. However, the emblem looks like that of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which may have affected the decision, the newspaper said.

The application was mainly for patent registration.However, during the decision process, officials said they questioned whether the product was against public morality or not and decided it was.

 The production of Kurdish brands is supported by Kurdish Association of Kurdish Employers or KARSAZ, the newspaper reported. KARSAZ is also attempting to launch textile brands in addition to its work in the food sector.