Turkish Cypriot move to register zivania

The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (TCCI) has moved forward with registering traditional alcoholic drink zivania as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product, although the certification is only applicable in the breakaway state.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, TCCI chairman Ali Cirali stated that while it is true the certification is not valid in the EU or Turkey, “it is the first step for filing for an application with the

Turkish Patent Institute and launching an initiative within the EU.”

Cirali pointed out that zivania is the third product protected by the TCCI – which now requires producers to adhere to certain standards – after whisky and halloumi cheese. The chairman added that crushed olives, shieftalies and carob syrup are next on the list.

Halloumi/hellim is a point of major contention since Cyprus has filed an application to the European Commission to grant halloumi a certificate of PDO last July.

The TCCI and Turkish Cypriot halloumi producers strongly object the application, arguing that they have not been consulted on the process. To that effect, the TCCI has filed five cases at the Supreme Court fearing that their producers would be disadvantaged.

The TCCI is calling for a separate production control mechanism of halloumi to be established, claiming that in any other scenario they would be at a disadvantage.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.