Turkey has withdrawn its bid to secure an EU “Traditional Speciality Guaranteed” label for doner kebabs, which would have imposed strict ingredient and preparation rules across Europe.
The proposal, aiming to preserve doner as a Turkish national dish, faced strong resistance from Germany, where the kebab has evolved into a popular local variant featuring veal, flatbread, vegetables, and sauces.
German officials, backed by the country’s €2.4bn kebab industry employing 60,000 people, argued that the dish had become part of Germany’s own culinary identity.
With widespread objections and little chance of success, Turkey’s International Doner Federation dropped the application on 23 September.
Image credit: Alexander Mils
Nothing like a kebab from a greasy Turk who can’t speak English
When asked a question all they can do is point at the sign
And there’s me thinking it was mostly Cypriot/Greek/Turkish and not exclusively origin of one country!