Türkiye operates a national variety listing system designed to protect consumers and support the agricultural and horticultural sectors by ensuring the availability of healthy, productive, and high-quality plant varieties and propagating material.

Before a variety can be entered into the relevant national variety list, it must satisfy specific technical and administrative requirements, including the successful completion of Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) testing.

National Variety Lists in Türkiye

Several separate variety lists are maintained depending on the type of plant material. These include:

  • Field Crops Variety List;
  • Vegetable Varieties List;
  • Fruit and Vine Varieties List; and
  • Ornamental Plants Variety List.

A variety must be admitted to the appropriate list before it can generally be marketed within the Turkish seed and plant propagation system.

DUS Testing Requirement

Admission to the national variety list requires confirmation that the variety is:

  • Distinct from existing varieties;
  • Uniform in its characteristics; and
  • Stable over successive generations.

This assessment is carried out through DUS testing.

In addition, the proposed denomination of the variety must be suitable and sufficiently distinguishable from existing variety names.

Application Periods

Applications for national listing are accepted twice each year:

  • during the first week of February; and
  • during the first week of October.

Applications must be submitted by an authorized seed or seedling producer holding a valid authorization from the breeder.

Required Application Documents

A national listing application should generally include:

  • Application form;
  • Variety description document;
  • Authorization certificate or authorization letter;
  • Certified translations of foreign-language documents;
  • Photographs, slides, and visual materials identifying the variety;
  • DUS report and supporting technical documentation; and
  • Proof of payment of the official fees.

Applicants should ensure that all forms are completed accurately and that the information provided is consistent throughout the application file.

Particular attention should be given to the distinction between a “clone” and a “variety” where applicable.

Where the intended use of the variety is indicated as “Other,” the specific intended use should be clearly explained.

Authorization Requirements

The authorization document issued by the breeder should expressly grant the right to register the variety in Türkiye.

The authorization should also remain valid for at least five years.

Breeders may authorize multiple companies to cultivate, produce, distribute, market, or sell the same variety. In such cases, the licensed companies should be notified to the General Directorate of Plant Production (BÜGEM).

DUS Reports and Technical Documentation

Original DUS reports and variety description documents should be submitted rather than photocopies.

Where foreign documents are used, translations should accurately reflect the technical terminology contained in the original documents.

Consistency between the original documents and their translations is particularly important during the examination process.

Official Fees

Application fees must be paid before filing the application.

Payment receipts should be included in the application file as evidence of payment.

Preparation of the Application File

Application documents should be organized in a dedicated file.

Where more than one variety is being filed, a separate file should be prepared for each variety.

A digital copy of the application should also be submitted together with the physical application file.

Production Permit Requirement

A production permit is generally required only for varieties that are currently undergoing testing or will be subjected to testing.

Where a variety registration application is based on DUS tests that have already been completed in Türkiye or abroad, a separate production permit is generally not required.

Conclusion

Registration in Türkiye’s National Variety Lists requires careful preparation of both technical and administrative documentation. Applicants should ensure that authorization documents expressly grant registration rights, that DUS reports and translations are properly prepared, and that official fees are paid before filing. Particular attention should also be paid to filing deadlines, which occur twice annually.