This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘BURSA SİYAH İNCİRİ / BURSA SİYAHI’

EU No: PDO-TR-02838 – 19.4.2022

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Names(s)

‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Türkiye

3.   Descriptions of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

The protected designation of origin (PDO) ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ denotes fresh figs of the ‘Dürdane’ variety. The fruits have a dark purple skin colour, red flesh, and are large in size.

Fruits are big-round and flat in shape (oblate) and the skin is easy to peel. Fruits are medium-sized and the fruit cavity is either absent or very small. Fruit flesh is firm and strongly aromatic with a sweet and acidic taste.

The fruit has the following physical and chemical characteristics:

—	Fruit width: 55,0 – 65,0 mm

—	Fruit length: 45,0 – 55,0 mm

—	Skin thickness: 1,2 – 1,8 mm

—	Ostiole width: 8,0 – 12,0 mm

—	Number of fruits in 1 kg: 11 ± 2 fruits

—	Brix: 17,00 – 18,50

—	Tel. 4,50 – 5,00

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All production steps must take place within the geographical area.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ is a sensitive fruit that can perish quickly. Production, storage, sorting/grading, and packaging must take place in the defined geographical area in order to preserve the freshness of the product, prevent it from being damaged, guarantee the origin of the product, and ensure control.

The fruits shall be sorted and graded at the farm level or the cooperative level in a dedicated and clean area to prevent fruits from being contaminated.

Sorted figs are stored at + 2 °C in cold storage. Early harvest figs can be stored for up to 25 days and matured figs can be stored for no more than 10 days.

‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ must be packed in carton/plastic/wood boxes for final consumers.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

In addition to the compulsory information provided by legislation on the labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, labels must include the following:

—	The name of the designation ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’,

—	Trade name and address or short name and address or registered mark of the producer,

—	European Union PDO logo,

—	In addition, the ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ logo may be used on the packaging of the PDO ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ products.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Bursa is a province of the Marmara region which gives its name to black figs grown in the districts of the province listed below;

—	Gemlik; Kurtul, Muratoba, Katırlı, Hamidiye, Şükriye, Feyziye, Fındıcak, Kurşunlu

—	Gürsu; Kazıklı, Iğdir, Karahıdır, Dışkaya

—	Karacabey; Boğazköy, Çavuşköy, Taşpınar, Yeni Karaağaç, Eski Karaağaç, Orhaniye, Ikizce, Dağkadı, Yeşiller, Bayramdere, Seyran, Çeşnigir, Ballıkaya, Çamlıca, Inkaya, Muratlı, Hürriyet, Karakoca

—	Kestel; Barakfaki, Çataltepe, Kayacık

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Mustafa Kemal Paşa; Yenice, Gündoğdu, Alpagut, Karaorman, Melik, Kösehoroz, Devecikonağı, Çardakbelen, Döllük, Çavuşköy, Çamandar, Kurşunlu, Fındıcak, Bükköy, Yoncaağaç, Eskibalçık, Karacalar, Yenibalçık, Kestelek, Çaltılıbük, Osmaniye, Kazanpınar, Doğanalan, Akçapınar, Onaç, Köreken, Killik, Incealipınarı, Uğurlupınar, Taşpınar, Dorak, Işıklar, Çömlekçi, Çamlıca, Kabulbaba, Güller, Söğütalan, Kadirçeşme, Karaoğlan, Çördük

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Mudanya; Esence, Dereköy, Mesudiye, Evciler, Çamlık, Eyerci, Emirleryenicesi, Söğütpınar, Çayönü, Yalıçiftliği, Yürük Yenicesi, Zeytinbağı, Kumyaka, Hançerli, Yaman, Kaymakoba, Mirzeoba, Orhaniye, Çekrice, Yaylacık, Küçükyenice, Dedeköy, Ipekyayla, Çepni, Işıklı, Akköy, Mudanya Merkez, Güzelyalı, Altıntaş, Aydınpınar, Göynüklü, Çağrışan, Mürselköy, Ülkü, Bademli, Hasköy

—	Nilüfer; Gölyazı, Fadıllı, Çatalağıl, Karacaoba, Ayvaköy, Unçukuru, Akçalar, Çaylı, Konaklı, Başköy, Hasanağa, Görükle, Yolçatı, Doğanköy, Çalı, Yaylacık, Tahtalı, Badırga

—	Orhangazi; Orhangazi, Gemiç, Gürle, Yenigürle, Dutluca, Gölyaka, Akharem, Yeniköy, Üreğil, Çakırlı

—	Osmangazi; Osmangazi, Nilüfer, Aksungur, Ahmetbey, Gündoğdu, Çağlayan, Ovaakça, Dürdane, Karabalçık, Selçukgazi, Seçköy, Avdancık, Demirtaş, İsmetiye

5.   Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ is a fig of the ‘Dürdane’ variety which is a local variety of Bursa province. Seedlings of these fig trees must come from nurseries located in the defined geographical area in order to ensure genetic stability, because fruit quality is directly dependant on genetic features of the local variety and specific natural factors in the defined geographical area.

The geographical area is characterized by patches of plains with mountainous terrain, which provide the appropriate conditions to grow excellent figs. The main soil groups of the area consist of alluvial, acid-reactive forest soil, and brown soil. Soils of the region are loam textured, non-saline, slightly alkaline, and contain different amounts of limestone. The soils are fertile and have good water retention. The soil characteristics of the geographical area enable the growth of strong-rooted fig trees, allowing the trees better access to nutrients. Therefore, figs grown in the area become larger and sweeter.

The geographical area has a transitional climate that shows the mixed features of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and is considered a special corridor between the two regions. The high humidity (> 90 %) during fruit ripening and high temperatures affects the size, thickness of skin, and shelf life of the fruits. The annual average humidity in Bursa is 68,4 % and this humidity level makes fruits bigger and affords them a longer shelf life. ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ becomes large in size and with a thinner skin owing to the average temperature being 14,6 °C during the growing season for the fruit.

The figs’ need for water starts from the beginning of July to September, especially when the figs begin to mature. The rainfall regime of Bursa is such that the amount of rainfall (705 mm annual average) during these months is higher than in other regions. Sufficient and regularly distributed rainfall, especially during the production season, contributes to the fruit’s specific features, notably in terms of its bigger size.

The average wind speed in the Bursa province is < 4,5 ms-1 with NE, SE, and ENE directions which is very suitable for fig production as light airflow enables the growth of smoothly shaped and big-sized fruits as a result of good pollination.

Human Factors

Figs have been cultivated in the Bursa province for a very long time. The Ottoman archives show two records mentioning ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’; one of them dates back to 1913 and the other to 1915. The caprification of the pollination process is very typical of the area. Unlike many figs, ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ is not self-pollinating. It relies on caprification, which is a method of artificial pollination of fig trees. Unlike most fruit trees, which depend on bees for pollination, the ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ requires the help of a parasitic wasp, the Blastophaga psenes, also called ‘ilek’. The pollination occurs when the wasp, having worked its way into the male fig, flies off and touches the female. If the female fig is not pollinated, it drops off the tree. As there are fewer male ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ trees than female ones, human support is required in pollination. ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ producers have developed specific knowledge and a technique which consists in making sure that male figs are picked by hand and hung in bags on the female tree. This technique, implemented between June and July 10th and repeated 3 times, provides ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ with its specific shape, size, dark purple colour, sweetness, and absent/small internal fruit cavity by offering the right pollination. The human factor also affects the shelf life of the product. Producers harvest the figs retaining a part of the fig stalk called the ‘button’. This button prevents water-loss in the fruit and helps to preserve the shelf life of the figs.

Specificity of the product

‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ figs possess unique features which differentiate them from figs of other Turkish origin. They are renowned in Turkey and many other parts of the world for their size (larger than the average fig with a width of between 55 and 65 mm), a dark purple, almost black colour, and for their sweetness.

Fruits are large, round and flat in shape (oblate). The shell (skin) is dark purple and easy to peel. Nuclei are medium in size and have no fruit cavity or a very small internal fruit cavity.

According to sensory analysis, black figs grown in the Bursa have a higher intensive fig aroma, sweetness, and firmness than the other figs produced in Turkey. ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ is characterized by a high sugar content (Brix content between 17,00 and 18,50) as well as a pronounced acidity with a pH ranging from 4,50 to 5,00.

Causal link

The specific qualities of ‘Bursa Siyah İnciri / Bursa Siyahı’ come from the characteristics of the geographical area and the unique knowledge in the production of the fig developed over the years by the local producers. Local variety (seedlings), soil and climate (temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind) are the main important factors that affect fruit quality.

Reference to publication of the specification

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(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/1151/oj