Evaluatıon of the Gastronomic Products of Gaziantep Province in Terms of Geographical Indication Which is Included in the Unesco Gastronomy Cities Network

Abstract

The UNESCO” Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity" was established in 2004. This network covers seven different themes, one of which is gastronomy. The purpose of the network is to ensure the development of international cooperation, the preservation and promotion of local cuisines, to ensure sustainable development. Thus, economic and cultural development will take place. The Geographical Indication has the property of being used as a tool in rural development. Geographical signs contribute to the national economy by protecting both the producer and the consumer, as well as ensuring the transfer of cultural values between generations without decaying. Gaziantep Province is the first city in our country to enter the Unesco creative gastronomy cities network. After Gaziantep joined the network, awareness was raised and there was a rapid increase in the number of geographically marked products. In this study, the gastronomic products of Gaziantep province with geographical indications were examined. In the study, it was aimed to determine the effect of the inclusion of Gaziantep Province in the UNESCO creative gastronomy cities network on the geographical indication registration of gastronomic products. In the research, the document scanning technique, one of the qualitative research methods, was used, the keywords were determined and the literature on the subject was scanned and the obtained data were presented in the study. It is one of the striking results of the research that the number of geographically indicated gastronomic products has increased rapidly with the inclusion of Gaziantep province in the UNESCO creative cities network, and this number has increased to 67 by 2022. After Gaziantep was included in the network, awareness was created and there was a rapid increase in the number of geographically indicated products. Thus, the purpose of the Unesco creative gastronomic cities network was realized and contributed to the promotion and preservation of local cuisine.