The recognition by the EU will help to protect the name of “Ezine Peyniri” cheese and to promote the product and its unique characteristics linked to geographical area of production as well as traditional know-how.

“Ezine Peyniri” is a creamy white cheese made from a mixture of sheep’s, goat’s, cow’s milk, and sea salt. It has a creamy and buttery aroma of cooked milk. The cheese is matured in brine for at least eight months, which gives it its characteristic sour and mild-sweet taste.

The Head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, says: “Türkiye has a long-standing culinary tradition. I welcome the fact that the EU journey of Turkish products continues so successfully. The consumers will know that they are getting the genuine “Ezine Peyniri” cheese. This registration will also bring wider recognition to the hard-working producers of this excellent cheese in Türkiye and the EU.”

DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO TÜRKIYE

“Ezine Peyniri” cheese is made from a mixture of sheep’s, goat’s, cow’s milk, and sea salt

The “Ezine Peyniri” cheese is produced in the Ezine, Bayramiç, and Ayvacık districts, located between the Kaz Mountains and the Aegean Sea, and some villages of Çan district. This area reflects the transition between the Mediterranean and Black Sea climates. With semi-humid, high-precipitation and windy climatic conditions, the region has a rich flora of hundreds of aromatic plants.

The animals that produce milk for this cheese are fed exclusively with fodder from the geographical area. The quality of the milk results from free-range dairy farming and the abundance and quality of the fodder available in the area. Also, sea salt is exclusively used in producing “Ezine Peyniri”.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı says: “The registration was particularly important in that it is the first Turkish cheese variety to be granted geographical indication status by the EU.”

Another supporter of the application process is Abdullah Deniz, Chairman of the Board of Çanakkale Commodity Exchange. He says: “We were looking forward to this result. The EU registration of our products and the heritage of our land, culture and traditions makes us proud. The EU recognition of “Ezine Peyniri” cheese after Çanakkale's “Bayramiç Beyazı” fruit is an encouraging development for our other products.”

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Abdullah Deniz, Chairman of the Board of Çanakkale Commodity Exchange

The producers from Çanakkale are also positive about this development. The producer and President of the Ezine Cheesemakers Association that conducted the application process for registration, Ali Öztürk, reflects: “We have a problem with counterfeiting in Türkiye. Counterfeit products are sold cheaply. Both our consumers are deceived, and our producers are aggrieved. I hope the EU logo will help overcome this.” Another producer, Ali Atak, also points to the same problem and says: “Having the EU's logo will be a prestige for both our region and Türkiye. I think export opportunities will also increase.”

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The EU has previously awarded PDO and PGI (protected geographical indication) status to other product names from Türkiye: “Antep Baklavası / Gaziantep Baklavası”, “Aydın Kestanesi”, "Aydın İnciri", “Bayramiç Beyazı”, “Malatya Kayısısı”, “Milas Zeytinyağı”, “Taşköprü Sarımsağı”, “Giresun Tombul Fındığı”, “Antakya Künefesi”, “Suruç Narı”, “Çağlayancerit Cevizi”, “Gemlik Zeytini”, “Edremit Zeytinyağı”, “Milas Yağlı Zeytini”, “Ayaş Domatesi”,  “Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini”, and “Maraş Tarhanası”.

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